


Family Portrait

by Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, single mum!Blake, teacher!Yang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 31,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25695760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force
Summary: In their family portrait, Blake and her daughter looked pretty happy.And they were. Genuinely and truly happy.But as Eirwen gets older, she starts to struggle with the complicated emotions that come with being a teenager.Perhaps... just a little help is needed to help her learn to cope?
Relationships: Bumbleby - Relationship
Comments: 337
Kudos: 700





	1. Meeting Miss Xiao Long

**Author's Note:**

> So... yeah. This is happening. Mama Blake is a thing now!

Adopting a child hadn’t been very high on Blake’s list of priorities at the age of twenty-five. But after years of healing from a rather unfortunate past and rebuilding the bridges that Adam has forced her to burn, Blake found herself wanting to help give a child the exact same second chance at life that she had been given. 

It wasn’t a decision that she made lightly. She spent months rolling it over in her mind, thinking about and talking it over with her family and friends to the point that no visit was complete without Blake bringing the topic up at some point. But after much debate, Blake, with the support of her parents, began to prepare her modest home for a child in need. It was stressful and anxiety inducing, and often Blake wondered if this was such a good idea. But all of her doubts faded away when an eight year old faunus girl was introduced to her, her hands firmly gripping her long snow leopard tail and hugging it to her chest as the Matron of the orphanage, Glynda Goodwitch, encouraged her forward. Her eyes were a soft blue-grey, standing out against the tanned colour of her skin. Her hair was a light brown and cut short. She was rather small and upon meeting her, Blake felt a surge of protectiveness over the little girl she now called her own. 

Blake quickly came to realise that, for as difficult as raising an adopted child would prove to be, each day was made worth it as she watched young Eirwen grow and gain confidence. Watching the young girl be so readily accepted in Blake’s family made the young woman’s heart sing. But what truly made Blake emotional was the day that Eirwen called her “mum” for the first time. 

Ilia still wouldn’t let her live it down.

It was now five years later and Blake and her daughter lived a happy and peaceful existence as they each attended school and work respectively… 

“Hello?”

“Uh… Miss Belladonna? Yeah, hi. I’m your daughter’s new gym teacher and I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to come down to the school and have a meeting with me.” 

Apart from Eirwen’s tendency to get into trouble.

Blake sighed. She could practically hear her mother snickering and making comments about Blake finally learning what it was like to have a wild child.

“I’ll be there in an hour.”

* * *

“What?”

“Don’t what me, young lady.” Blake said as she sat beside a moping Eirwen, who’s jeans and hoodie seemed to have gotten substantially muddier than when Blake had seen her last. Blake frowned at the sight of a fresh cut on her daughter’s cheek and sighed gently.

“Sweetie, we’ve talked about this.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So… you can’t keep getting into fights like this.” Blake said calmly, gently placing her hand on Eirwen’s shoulder. She watched sadly as her daughter nervously clung to her tail, the black tip thrashing anxiously despite her grip. “You’re better than this, baby girl.”

“They started it!”

“Oh, so they hit you first?”

“...no.”

“Hun, you’re always going to be able to talk your way out of more situations than you can fight.” Blake said softly, moving to brush her daughter’s impossibly long bangs from her forehead, her chest clenching painfully when she scowled and pulled away. “There’s always another way.”

“How would you know? Weren’t you a terrorist when you were my age?”

Blake flinched, as memories that she had long since left behind cams rushing back to the surface. Cold blue eyes hidden behind a white mask, a cruel smirk and a crueller touch. She wasn’t proud of those years and she pulled back from Eirwen, body tense as she focused on breathing. She felt her black cat ears pin back against her head and she exhaled slowly, trying to keep control over the rise of hurt within her chest. 

“Miss Belladonna?”

Blake looked up at the concerned lilac gaze of a blonde woman, close to her own age. She was pretty and well built, her sweatpants and orange muscle shirt showcasing the strength in her body. Blake glanced back to Eirwen, who had frozen after lashing out, her face twisting into guilt as she took in her mother’s hurt expression.

“Mum- I didn’t-“

“We’ll talk about this when we get home. Stay here.” Blake murmured, careful not to let her voice come out harshly. But she must have let some of her hurt slip into her tone because Eirwen curled in on herself sadly, brows pinching together as she played with her tail worriedly. “Miss Xiao Long, I presume? Lead the way.” Blake said with no particular intonation as the woman nodded and led the way into her office.

“So… you probably know that Eirwen got into a bit of a fight.” Miss Xiao Long sighed as she sat in front of Blake at her desk and smiled at her. “There’s no serious injuries, other than a couple of very minor cuts and bruises, thank God but… I just wanted to address this with you.” Miss Xiao Long’s smile dropped, a worried frown crossing her lips, as she leaned forward on the desk. “Eirwen seems to get angry very easily. It’s very easy for the other kids to set her off and when they do, the situation gets escalated. I plan on having a meeting with the other kids and their parents to correct them on their behaviour towards your daughter because God knows that they’re not entirely innocent. But I do have to ask.. is everything okay at home?”

“For the most part.” Blake said tensely, swallowing thickly as she fidgeted in her seat. 

“The most part?”

“She- Eirwen… she’s… she’s adopted and recently she’s started to question why her birth parents didn’t want her.” Blake crossed her arms and frowned, biting her lip anxiously as she stared at the desk in front of her. “The orphanage has very strict confidentiality and refused to tell me what happened to them. For all we know, they might not even be alive.”

“But you don’t know and you think that might be having an effect on Eirwen’s behaviour?” Miss Xiao Long suggested gently, a sympathetic smile crossing her lips. “Kids at this age struggle as they learn to process these very complicated and confusing emotions. Sometimes they lash out at their peers… or their families.” Miss Xiao Long handed Blake a box of tissues as a small sniffle escaped her, a gentle sigh escaping her as she did. “I can sit here and tell you not to take it personally but that’s easier said than done. Have you thought about maybe getting her into therapy? We have an amazing councillor at the school who does incredible work with the kids and helps them work through how they’re feeling.”

“It… has crossed my mind, yes.”

“If you want, I can organise that for you? Weiss Schnee always handles the kids really well.”

“I’m… yes. Please.” Blake sighed gratefully before wincing. “Actually… no. I want to talk to Eirwen about that first. I don’t think it’s fair to go ahead without talking to her.”

“Of course. Just call reception when you’ve made your decision and they can help you from there.” Miss Xiao Long said warmly before tilting her head in thought. “Y’know… it might be good to get her into some sports. It could help to give a controlled environment to put that aggressive energy and anger without hurting anyone.”

“Okay… did you have something in mind?”

“I run self defence sessions on Saturdays and Sundays. It’d teach her discipline and give her a safe outlet that isn’t other student’s faces.” Miss Xiao Long said with a small and teasing grin that was far too attractive for Blake’s own good. “I’d be more than happy to set up a time for you two to come in for a session to see if she’d like it. If not, then I can help you find something else for her.”

“... Yes, thank you. That sounds great.” Blake said with a small smile of her own before she narrowed her gaze slightly. “You’re being much more helpful than other teachers that have called me in, y’know.”

“I became a teacher for a reason; to help these kids learn and grow and become capable adults. That includes when they’re having problems. If I can support their parents, then I stand a better chance of helping the kid.” Miss Xiao Long said with a shrug, leaning back in her chair and smirking. “Between you and me? You’re one of the easier parents to deal with.” She added with a playful wink, pulling a brief laugh from Blake. She nodded, as though that had been her plan all along and stood, holding out her hand with a soft smile. “Talk it over with her then get in touch and we’ll sort something out for you, okay?”

“Sure.” Blake said as she stood and shook Miss Xiao Long’s hand, ignoring the bolt of electricity that shot up her arm. She felt her cheeks heat up when the teacher’s smile grew a little bit more and she pulled back, crossing her arms and nodding at her. “Thank you, Miss Xiao Long. I would say that it was a pleasure to meet you but… y’know.”

“I do. And Miss Belladonna?”

Blake paused as she reached the door and felt her heart stall at the utter compassion that shined in the other woman’s gaze, her expression soft enough to send Blake’s heart racing in a way it hadn’t in years. 

“Your daughter adores you. You’re her hero, no matter how snappy she might get. She’s just having a tough time right now.” Miss Xiao Long said quietly, her voice gentle. “Just make sure to take care of yourself as you’re taking care of her.”

Blake swallowed thickly and nodded, exiting the door and giving Eirwen a silent gesture to follow her. The drive home was awkward and when they returned to their house, Blake felt another chip form in her heart as Eirwen immediately ran to her room, the door slamming behind her. Blake’s worry grew until, as she sat on the couch while trying and failing to focus on her new novel, a familiar pair of footsteps made their way over and sat beside her. Blake paused in her typing for just a moment before continuing, aware that Eirwen needed to come to her on her own.

“Mum?” Eirwen mumbled, playing with her tail anxiously. She sounded so much like the small child that Blake had bundled into her arms during a thunderstorm that it broke her mother’s heart. When Blake placed her laptop down and turned to face her, Eirwen's grip tightened on her tail, her knuckles turning white. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. For what I said. That was wrong of me.”

“It was.” Blake confirmed carefully, her chest twisting as a sniffle escaped her child. “But you recognise that. You’re owning up to it and apologising and I’m very proud of you for that, baby girl.” Blake reached out her hand and this time, Eirwen didn’t pull away as her mother brushed her hair behind her ear. 

“You don’t hate me?” Eirwen asked, glancing up at Blake through tear filled eyes. “Even though I yelled and get into trouble all the time?”

“No. You are my  _ daughter. _ It doesn’t matter how angry you get or what mistakes you make. It doesn’t matter how much trouble you get into… I will always,  _ always  _ love you.” Blake said with gentle firmness, remembering the time her own mother had said something similar to her. “We just need to get you a little help. Okay?”

“Okay. I love you too.” Eirwen sniffed as she leaned forward to butt her head into Blake’s neck. “What kind of help?” She asked as Blake pulled her daughter into her arms and gently rocked them back and forth as her tears dried.

“Well… for starters, I’d really like you to talk to the school’s councillor. Remember how I told you my therapist helps me when I feel really bad?” Blake asked, waiting for Eirwen to nod against her neck. “Well, your school has a lady that can help you just like how mine helped me. Would you want to try that?”

“Yeah. I don’t like getting angry.” Eirwen sniffled again and Blake soothed her quietly, running a hand through her hair tenderly.

“I know, but we can help you.” Blake murmured into her hair before smiling. “But here’s something you might like… Miss Xiao Long asked me to enroll you in one of her self defence classes. Would you like that?”

“Really? Heck yeah!” 

Blake laughed as her daughter suddenly sat up, grinning excitedly through her tears and bouncing in her seat.

“She’s really cool! She’s shown us these awesome fighting moves! She can lift like… five of us on each arm. At the same time!” Eirwen paused, tilting her head at her mother. “Did you like her? When you spoke to her?”

“She, uh. Hmm.” Blake cleared her throat awkwardly, a blush creeping up her face as her daughter watched her curiously. “She’s a very nice lady.”

“Mum? You know I know what a crush is, right?” Eirwen said seriously, crossing her arms and acting as yet another reminder that she was as stubborn as Blake herself was. “And like Grams said… you’re not very subtle.”

“Eirwen!”

“What? It’s true!” Eirwen defended before a slow grin began to spread across her face and almost instantly, Blake found herself worried. She knew that look. It was the “I am about to cause trouble on purpose” look. “When you met Mister Wukong, you got the same look on your face. The dopey, gross lovestruck one.”

“Stop smiling. You look like you did something you’re not supposed to and you’re not even sorry about it… or you’re about to.” Blake grumbled, though she couldn’t truly feel mad now that her daughter had stopped crying and was grinning mischievously. 

“What? You haven’t gone on a date since Mister Wukong-“

“I am not discussing my love life with my thirteen year old daughter, thank you very much. You know… you’re starting to remind me too much of your grandmother.” Blake grumbled, having half the mind to scold her mother about teasing her in front of Eirwen. “Miss Xiao Long is very nice but my priority is you and making sure that you’re happy.”

“But you deserve to be happy too.” Eirwen said with a sad frown, her tail twitching behind her.

“Oh, my beautiful baby girl.” Blake sighed as she ruffled Eirwen’s hair gently. “I  _ am  _ happy. Now c’mon. Your Auntie Ilia will be over for dinner soon so come help set the table.”

Eirwen huffed quietly but didn't brush Blake off when she curled her arm over her shoulders and gave her an affectionate squeeze. Blake meant what she said. She was happy. She had supportive parents, loving friends and a wonderful daughter. The way she saw it, she wasn’t missing out on anything important by refusing to date.

Besides… Blake was a package deal. If anyone wanted to be a part of her life, they would need to include Eirwen in that. They would need to understand that Blake’s daughter was her priority. 

What were the chances of finding somebody like that?


	2. Lesson Number One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young Eirwen attends her first lesson with Miss Xiao Long and Blake deals with the first day jitters that any young parent goes through when sending their child off into someone’s care.

Blake let out a soft sigh and rolled over onto her stomach and burrowed her head into her pillow with a small smile. It was a beautiful morning, she could feel the early morning sun shining through her window and she stretched out her body, taking great joy as it’s rays warmed her skin. It was lovely and it was peaceful…

“Mum! Wake up!”

Until a very small tornado decided to barge into her room at full velocity. Blake groaned and burrowed deeper into her pillow, briefly wondering what demon she pissed off to warrant her peaceful morning to be interrupted.

“Muuuuuum!”

“Mum’s not here. All is sleepy lady.” Blake grumbled, her voice scratchy from sleep as she pulled her blanket over her head. “Come back later.”

“ _ Ugh! _ ” Was Eirwen’s response, reminding Blake of her own teenage years. “Mother! Come on! Get up! Today’s the day!”

“What’s a day?” Blake asked, as she smirked into her pillow, biting her cheek to stop from laughing at the precious whine of frustration that her child let out.

“Muuuuuum!”

“I told you; mum’s not here. Come back later.”

“Oh my God.” Eirwen growled, though Blake merely found it adorable rather than intimidating. “Can you not?”

“I can but I won’t.” Blake teased softly as she rolled over and sat up to give her grumpy daughter a playful smile. “Alright, I’m up. How are we feeling about pancakes for breakfast?”

“Pretty good.” Eirwen said before an excited grin crossed her face. “I can’t wait to get to class this morning! Do you think Miss Xiao Long’s gonna teach me how to do one of those flying kick thingies?”

“I doubt it.” Blake chuckled softly as she ruffled Eirwen’s hair before standing up and grabbing her phone as she made her way to the kitchen. “Now go have a shower and get ready. Breakfast should be ready by the time you get out.”

Blake rolled her eyes fondly as her daughter ran off to get ready, sighing heavily and wondering just  _ where the fuck _ the child got her energy from this early in the morning.

* * *

“Hey, mum.” Blake spoke into her scroll as she sat at her table, watching her daughter eat what was an alarming number of pancakes for her small body. “Yeah, Eirwen starts her self defence classes today. She’s  _ very  _ excited.”

“I’m gon’ kick butt!” Eirwen mumbled around a mouthful of food, shrugging shamelessly when Blake glared at her.

“I’m sure she’ll do well. She’s  _ your  _ daughter after all, Blake.” Kali said with a small huff of laughter. “Hopefully she can burn off all of that excess energy.”

“I hope so.” Blake sighed, shaking her head at the sight of Eirwen putting  _ far  _ too much syrup on her pancakes. “Maybe I need to cut back on her sugar consumption.” She added teasingly, smirking when her daughter’s tail thumped against the floor irritably, her blue-grey eyes turning to give her a filthy look, her lips twisting into a scowl. 

“I’m glad that you two are figuring this out.” Kali said softly, her voice warm and loving as she spoke. “I know being a single mother is hard, Blake. But you’re not alone in this.”

“I know, mum.” Blake said quietly, leaning back in her seat and grimacing slightly. “I just… this will be good for her.”

“I think so… and who knows-“

“Nope.” Blake said forcefully, narrowing her eyes as her mother giggled innocently. “Stopping you right there. We are  _ not  _ having this conversation. Not now. Not ever.”

“Oh, come on. Tell me a little about this teacher. Eirwen seems quite taken with her… and she said that she was close to your age.”

“Mum, please.”

“Blake, you’re lonely.” Kali said bluntly, earning an embarrassed groan from Blake. “I know that Eirwen is your priority but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find somebody to date. Maybe the right person is just around the corner!”

“Mum. No. I have a deadline for this new novel. Eirwen deserves as much of my attention as I can give. I don’t have the time for a relationship.”

“You do, dear. You’re just scared.” Kali said gently, her voice shifting into the one she used when Blake first returned home. “Baby girl, it’s okay to be scared after what you went through.”

“I’m just- it’s not what’s right for us, mum.” Blake said softly, huffing slightly when her daughter gave her a disbelieving look, one brow arched in a perfect mimicry of Blake’s own expression. “I’m fine. Both of you.” Blake said with a pointed glare at her daughter, who merely huffed and returned to her pancakes. “Look, I need to go and get ready but I’ll talk to you tonight, Mum. I love you.”

“I love you more, my fierce little panther cub!”

“Grams called you panther cub again didn’t she?” Eirwen said with a smirk, giggling slightly at Blake’s exasperated expression. “Did she always call you that?”

“Never you mind.” Blake snorted, a small smile tugging onto her lips as Eirwen grinned up at her. “I’m going to get ready. Try not to get into trouble while I’m gone, yeah? I would hate to have to call and cancel your very first session with Miss Xiao Long because you got grounded.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“You wanna bet on that?” Blake challenged playfully, chuckling when Eirwen let out a quiet grumble. “Good girl. I’ll be out soon and then we can head off.”

As Blake went to go get ready, she couldn’t help the mildly irritated frown that crossed her lips. She wasn’t lonely. She was perfectly happy on her own. Hell, it was  _ better _ for her to be on her own. 

It was just easier.

///

“Miss Xiao Long!”

“Eirwen! Do  _ not  _ jump out of the car before I’ve stopped it!” Blake yelled out as her daughter, quicker than lightning, launched herself from the car and  _ booked it _ towards her teacher. Blake let out a small growl and parked the car, hopping out and running to shut Eirwen’s door just in time to see her run and tackle her teacher’s back. 

To her credit, Miss Xiao Long didn’t even stumble, merely turning around to meet Blake’s eyes and grin, sending the young mother’s heart into overdrive as she walked over, carrying Eirwen on her back as if she weighed nothing. 

“Hey. Could you do me a favour and check my back? I think an annoying, little fly landed on it.” She joked, smirking as Eirwen let out an indignant noise as she clung to her teacher’s back in a piggyback ride.

“Now that you mention it… there does seem to be a bit of a pest latched into you.” Blake deadpanned, her lips twitching when Eirwen huffed.

“You’re both awful.” Eirwen whined, trying to tighten her grip around Miss Xiao Long’s neck in a headlock and failing. 

“Oh! It’s Eirwen!” Yang gasped, reaching back to support Eirwen's legs and spun around in a circle quickly, pulling a delighted laugh from the young girl. “How’s my favourite little gremlin?”

“Ready to kick butt!”

“Eirwen, please.” Blake sighed softly, giving Yang an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Miss Xiao Long. My daughter seems to have completely forgotten all of the good manners that I spent the last five years teaching her.”

“Don’t worry about it. She’s just excited.” Yang chuckled softly, smirking as Eirwen poured at Blake. “And both of you can call me Yang here. Just not at school, okay, trouble?” Yang said teasingly as she jostled Eirwen lightly. “Hey, why don’t you run inside? There’s a really nice tall lady with red hair who can show you where to set up. I wanna talk to your mum about boring adult stuff like taxes.”

“Ew. Gross.” Eirwen whined as she jumped down from Yang’s back. “I’m leaving.” She muttered as she ran into the gym, leaving an amused mother and teacher behind.

“Sorry about her using you as a monkey gym, by the way.” Blake said awkwardly, brushing her long hair behind her ear and smiled at Yang, her heart fluttering when Yang smiled back. “She’s… well. She’s very excited. She speaks highly of you, you know.”

“I should hope so.” Yang laughed softly before tilting her head at Blake. “So… what I usually do is invite the caregivers to sit in on the first session so that they can see what’s going on, how I get on with their kid so that they can decide if they feel okay leaving their baby with me in the future. If you want, I have my child safety clearance inside for you to take a look at as well.”

“Oh God. Are my nerves that obvious?” Blake asked, cheeks flushing as she dropped her head into her hands, her cat ears pinning back slightly.

“Most mums are pretty obvious when letting their kids join. It’s perfectly natural to be nervous.” Yang reassured with a warm smile as she shifted her weight to one foot. Her arms crossed and Blake had to remind herself not to stare at her child’s teacher’s arms. “But I promise you that she’ll be safe with me.”

“I’m sure she will… I just worry.”

“You’re her mum. That’s part of your job.” Yang’s smile shifted to an excited grin and she playfully gestures towards the gym. “Now follow me and watch as your lil energy ball gets worn out for once.”

“Pfft. Good luck with that.”

Blake’s voice was amused as she walked past Yang and headed into the gym, curious to see what was in store for her daughter.

* * *

“Are you kidding me?”

“No. You heard me. Thirty mountain climbers.”

“But-“

“No buts. You need to warm up and I am  _ not  _ letting you do a dang thing until you’re done with warmups. Now start mountain climbing, young lady. And if you talk back, that’ll be another ten.”

Blake hid a giggle behind her hand as her daughter’s tail trashed irritably from side to side before she began to follow Yang’s instructions. She placed her hands on the exercise mat in a standard plank before bringing her feet forward, as though running in place and Blake snorted a laugh as her long bangs flopped in her face and earned an annoyed growl from their host.

“Ah, ah. Keep that butt down, Eirwen. You’re only moving your legs, not your butt.” Yang said with gentle firmness as she used the bottom of her foot to nudge the base of Eirwen’s tailbone back down gently. “Yeah, yeah, thrash your tail at me all you want. You want to learn self defence, we need to start at ground zero. Keep going.” 

Blake day back in her seat and watched her daughter run through Yang’s warmup, making her way through thirty jumping jacks, ten pushups and another thirty high knees before making her way into stretches, occasionally letting out verbal annoyances that Yang was quick to gently deal with. Yang was good with her, Blake realised. She recognised that Eirwen didn’t respond well to harsh corrections and did better when she was levelled with and spoken to on equal footing. It helped put Blake’s mind at ease, knowing that her child would be in safe hands.

Before too long, Yang was teaching Eirwen the basics. She showed the young girl proper fighting stances, gently correcting her on how to stand and punch before putting on a pair of pair of boxing pads and asking Eirwen to do a series of jabs and cross punches.

“Ow! What the heck?!” Eirwen yelped, glaring at Yang as she rubbed her head where Yang had gently bopped her. “Why did you do that?!”

“You let your guard down. Always keep your fist up to guard your face.” Blake called out automatically before freezing and giving Yang a sheepish grin when she turned to look at her with a quirked brow. 

“You know how to fight?” Yang asked curiously, her head tilting as Eirwen turned to look at Blake with a similar curious gleam in her eyes.

“Just street fighting from my teen years.” Blake said with a small shrug. “Just some basic skills that I picked up.”

“Ahh. You’re a dirty fighter, then.” Yang said, smirking just enough to make Blake’s pulse jump. “I’ll have to spar with you one day and see what you can do.”

“There’s no way mum could beat you.” Eirwen snorted, rolling her eyes dramatically and casting a killing blow to Blake’s ego. “You’re like… twice her size.”

“Never underestimate your opponent.” Yang said, emphasising her point with a playful cuff to the back of Eirwen’s head, just barely grazing her hair. “It doesn’t matter how small they are compared to you, you need to understand that they might still kick your butt. Keep your eyes open and don’t let your guard down. For all I know, your mother might have learned something that would put me down. It’s my job to figure out what it is before she beats me.” Yang said pointedly before getting back into position. “Alright? Now… remember what your mum said; always keep one fist up by your face to block an attack. There you go! Just like that!”

Blake smiled softly as her daughter frowned in concentration, her fists coming up in front of her face as she tried to follow their advice. Her smile only grew when, after the class was over, she ran over to Blake, exerted and tired by no less thrilled, with a bright grin and asked her if she saw how well she did.

Maybe signing her up for these classes was the right call after all, Blake wondered to herself, as she drove home and looked into the rear view mirror at her sleeping daughter, all tuckered out from her first lesson.

Blake hoped it was. Especially since it made the little girl so happy already.


	3. A Whole New Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As young Eirwen discovers the awkwardness of a teenage crush, Blake discovers that she might be dealing with some infatuation of her own regarding a certain teacher.

The coming weeks after young Eirwen started training with Yang passed quickly, with the young girl returning home tired but happy… and as any parent knows… a tired but happy child equals a happy parent. Blake found herself listening and watching to her daughter ramble excitedly about all that she was learning, a delighted spark in her eyes that made Blake’s heart melt and she found that she was entirely all too happy for Eirwen to keep training.

“So…” Blake said one evening over dinner, rolling her eye as Eirwen shovelled food into her mouth. “How was school?”

“The other kids still suck.” Eirwen grumbled, rolling her eyes before a slow and shy smile crossed her face. “But a new girl started today. Maybe she won’t be as sucky.”

Blake paused, her fork halfway to her mouth as she examined the gentle blush creeping across her daughter’s face. She watched the goofy shyness of her smile, observed the way her tail twitched nervously… and felt a slow grin cross her own lips, her flicking forward as she hummed thoughtfully.

_ ‘Oh, to be a teenage girl getting her first crush.’  _ She thought to herself with no small amount of amusement.

“A new girl, huh?” Blake said carefully as she ate her forkful of food and smiled softly, as Eirwen flushed deeper. “What’s she like?”

“I dunno. I haven’t talked to her yet. But she seems nice enough.” She muttered softly, shrugging lightly as she played with her food. “But she’ll probably think I’m a loser like everyone else does.”

“You’re not a loser.” Blake said with gentle firmness, as she leaned forward on the table and frowned at her daughter, her brow creasing in concern. “You’re a very smart, wonderful girl. Anyone would be lucky to be able to call you their friend.”

“You’re my mum. You’re meant to say that.” Eirwen retorted, leaning back and crossing her arms, jutting her jaw obstinately. 

“You know how I give talks about my books?” Blake said softly, smiling warmly as she waited for Eirwen to meet her eyes and nod. “I still get really scared each time.”

“But you’re not scared of anything.”

“I am, actually. I’m scared of a lot of things. But that’s what makes being brave so hard. Because you’re scared but you do it anyway.” Blake said quietly, gently cupping her head in her hands as she gazed at her daughter. “I get scared each time. But I take a deep breath and count to ten and I give it my best shot.”

“What if you fail?”

“Then I take a breather and try again the next time.” Blake smiled sadly. “There is no shame in taking a break. But you do need to get back up again.”

“What do I even say to her?” Eirwen whined, throwing her arms up in exasperation and pouting at Blake. “How do I even talk to her? Talking to girls is hard!”

_ ‘That’s a mood.’ _ Blake thought to herself, her lips twitching into a slight smirk.

“Start small. Introduce yourself. Offer to show her around.” Blake suggested as she leaned back in her seat and teasingly grinned. “Who knows? Maybe she even  _ liiiiiiikes _ you.” Blake said in a playful sing-song, smirking as her daughter gave her a most mortified look.

“No. Stop yourself.” Eirwen groaned, covering her now very red face with her hands. “Why do mothers do this?”

“Because it’s our job, my little one.” Blake laughed softly, her expression softening. “But I do hope you know that these are not the best years of your life. You’ll find your people one day. And they are going to love you so,  _ so  _ much.”

“You think so?” Eirwen asked, voice small and vulnerable as she gripped her white and black spotted tail anxiously. “Even though I mess up a lot?”

“Honey.” Blake murmured, her heart breaking as she heard herself in her daughter’s words, reminded of the scared and hurt little girl _ she _ once was. “I know so.”

“Okay. Thanks, mum.”

“Of course.”

There was a long pause before Blake spoke up again, her teasing grin back in place.

“Is she pretty?”

“Mum!”

* * *

“Miss Belladonna? Fancy seeing you out here!”

Blake jumped, looking from her place under the oak tree at the park to see Yang walking towards her with an easy grin, wearing jeans and a flannel with rolled up sleeves. Blake swallowed thickly. It was such a simple look and yet Yang made it look like it was next season’s hottest trend.

“Hello, Yang. You know you can call me Blake, right?” Blake said as she looked up, flushing as Yang gave her a pleased grin. “What brings you here?”

“I’m just taking a walk… but you look pretty busy.” Yang said, gesturing to the laptop on Blake’s lap. “That your next big seller?”

“Hopefully… wait. You know my books?” Blake asked, a flattered smile crossing her features as Yang froze and let out a nervous laugh. “I didn’t take you for a fan.” She added teasingly, giggling when Yang rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

“I mean… My sister loves your stories. Especially the one about the sniper and and the Android. So I’ve pretty much read them all because of her.” Yang said nonchalantly, pausing to smirk down at Blake. “Personally, I like the one about the two women taking down a corrupt organisation together.”

“That was one of the less popular ones.” Blake said thoughtfully, tilting her head at Yang and shifting in her seat before gesturing to Yang to sit with her, which she gladly did. “Tell me… why that one?”

“I enjoyed the conflict between the main characters.” Yang shrugged, crossing her legs and leaning on them slightly. “Relationships can be complicated but they should never hurt. I really liked that you showed that there’s healthy ways to manage conflict.”

“Oh. Um… thank you.” Blake muttered, heat creeping up her neck as she fidgeted in place. “I tried.”

“And succeeded!” Yang said enthusiastically before giving Blake a playful smile. “So… can I ask how the little trouble maker’s doin’?”

“She climbed into the roof last night because she was bored. Her aunt took her out hiking today to give me a break.” Blake said dryly, scrunching up her nose. “I love that girl but I swear she has more energy than I know what to do with.”

“I hear that. I grew up with a kid sister that was the poster child for suger rushes.” Yang laughed and Blake felt her heart stutter. “One time, she managed to befriend a group of opossums in our attic and tried to teach them circus tricks.”

“Oh no.” Blake snorted, covering her mouth with her hand and giggling slightly. “That sounds… alarming.”

“We had a family of opossums in our attic for weeks. I couldn’t go up there without being screamed at.” Yang huffed, rolling her eyes despite the smile across her mouth. “But kids. What are you gonna do?”

“I know, right?” Blake chuckled, biting her lip gently when she realised just how easy it was to talk to Yang. How much she  _ enjoyed  _ it. “Eirwen loves your lessons. I don’t think I could get her to shut up about them if I wanted to.”

“And you don’t?”

“Of course not. You should see the spark in her eyes when she talks about what you’re teaching her.” Blake’s tone softened, her gaze becoming more loving as she glanced down at her laptop and smiled at the screen saver; an image of the day she adopted Eirwen. “She’s so happy. She’s excited. I get to watch my baby fall asleep with a smile on her face. How could I possibly be annoyed by that?”

“I hope I’m not stepping out of place when I say this, Blake… but you’re a really good mother. You know that?” Yang’s tone was soft, and when Blake glanced up, her gaze was warm. “Eirwen is lucky to have you.”

“Oh.” Blake uttered, he ears pinning back in embarrassment as Yang smiled at her, taken by surprise. “You don’t even know me.”

“No, but I’ve gotten to know Eirwen pretty well over the last few weeks.” Yang said as quirked a brow, seemingly unimpressed by Blake’s attempts at humility. “She’s a great kid. Respectful and eager to learn, even if she is a bit of handful. Yes, she gets angry quickly but  _ somebody  _ taught her when to apologise for her mistakes.  _ Somebody  _ taught her that when she sees somebody sad, then the right thing to do is to check on them.  _ Somebody  _ taught her that it’s okay to need help. Eirwen is no easy kid by any means and she’s still struggling with her peers. But she’s  _ trying so hard _ . She had to get that from  _ somewhere _ .” Yang shruggrd, her smile shifting to a playful smirk. “And I’m willing to bet that she got her cheeky gremlin tendencies from the same person.”

“Uh… okay. Wow. You just went from flattering to insulting within ten seconds. That  _ must  _ be a new record.” Blake snorted, ignoring the way her stomach flipped and her skin burned at Yang’s comments. 

“All a part of the Xiao Long charm, Miss Belladonna.”

“Charm? Is that we’re calling it these days?” Blake smirked back, her ears flicking forward now that she could hear a challenge in Yang’s words. 

“Yeah. Charm. What would you call it?” Yang said with no small amount of smugness, crossing her arms and jutting her jaw at Blake. 

“Arrogance.”

“It’s only arrogance if I don’t live up to my words and believe me when I say that I  _ always  _ exceed expectations.” Yang said, winking at Blake, who froze for a moment in shock, surprised at the blatant flirtatious tone. “Well, I won’t keep you from your writing just wanted to hi. Oh! And tell Eirwen that she still owes me ten pushups from gym class!”

“Will do, Yang.” Blake chuckled softly, biting her lip as she watched Yang walk away. 

Yang was, as Blake had surmised, a lovely lady. Charming, smart and strong. She was kind, gentle and warm, while still firm when she needed to be. And it certainly didn’t hurt that she was  _ ridiculously  _ attractive. 

“Nope. No, we are not hopping on that train of thought.” Blake mumbled to herself quietly, frowning as she pulled up her word document. “I am not going down that road. Certainly not with my kid’s  _ teacher _ .”

But still… Blake had a very difficult time pushing a certain blonde’s warm smile out of her mind as she tried to type.

It wasn’t until she had written Yang’s  _ name  _ several times in lieu of the heroine’s that she gave up and returned home, flopping onto her couch and letting out a muffled, flustered yell into her pillow. 

And that was how she stayed until Ilia and Eirwen walked through the door and decided to dogpile on top of her like the mature people that they were.


	4. A Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not too long after the last chapter, Blake decides to take her daughter to a local fair when she comes across a familiar face.

“I wanna go on the Mega-Drop first!”

“Really? I think that the merry go-round is more suited to your level.”

“Mum!”

Blake giggled as her daughter let out a loud whine, leaning dramatically into Blake’s side and headbutting her arm with an irritated sigh. Blake shook her head and patted the top of Eirwen’s head lightly and turned to look around the fair, smiling as kids ran around with their parents chasing after them.

“I’m going to overdose on sugar for that.” Eirwen grumbled, standing up and crossing her arms with a pout, her long tail thrashing behind her angrily. “You’re such a jerk.”

“You know that you need to build up to the big rides, Eirwen. Remember what happened the first year I brought you here?” Blake said pointedly as they slowly made their way through the crowd, keeping a gentle hand against the back of Eirwen’s shoulder at all times. “You decided to go all ina Nd what happened?”

“... I got sick.”

“That’s right. You got sick.” Blake teased gently, pulling her daughter into a tight side hug as she grumbled. “So… what do you think-“

“Hey! It’s Yang!”

Blake blinked in surprise as her daughter took off, letting out an annoyed huff as she ran after her. She sighed heavily as Eirwen ran over to a familiar looking woman and let out an excited yell, jumping high onto her back and latching onto her in a piggyback ride.

“Woah!” Yang yelled, as she turned away from browsing the stall of candies, spinning to regain her balance and laughing when she realised what was happening. “Help! I’m being attacked by a vicious little gremlin!”

“Eirwen. Please.” Blake groaned, ears pinning back as she caught up to them, smiling bashfully at Yang when she turned to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Nah, it’s fine, Blake.” Yang chuckled, hoisting Eirwen higher up onto her back with a grunt, rolling her eyes slightly. “She weighs about as much as a grape.”

“I do not!”

“You so do.”

Blake giggled, covering her smile with her hand as Yang winked playfully at her, her lips curling into a charming and lopsided grin. Blake found herself admiring the simple shirt and bomber jacket combo that Yang wore, biting her cheek to keep her comments to herself. “So… did you come here by yourself then?” Blake asked curiously, tilting her head at Yang as she did.

“No, I came here with my sister but she ran off the weapons display with her best friend half an hour ago.” Yang said with a pout, feigning sadness and heartache. “After everything I did for her… she just leaves me to be picked off by gremlins!” She wailed dramatically, playfully jostling Eirwen, who immediately giggled.

Blake smiled softly, glancing away for a moment as something melted and shifted in her chest. 

“I know! Mum? Can Yang hang out with us?”

“I don’t know, honey, I’m sure-“

“Pleeeeaaaaassaae?”

Blake froze and stared at her daughter’s wide and pleading eyes, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout, tail twitching lightly as she gave Blake the biggest pair of puppy dog eyes she could manage. “Oh my  _ God _ . Fine! But only if Yang  _ wants  _ to hang out with us. I am  _ so  _ not kidnapping your teacher.”

“What if I want you to kidnap me?” Yang said with a slow smirk, her eyes gleaming as Blake’s face erupted into a fierce blush. “I mean… I like a thrill as much as the next gal, Blake. Could be fun.”

“I- uh- that is- um!” Blake stuttered, her ears pinning against her head before she huffed and gave Yang a glare. “Then you’ll have no problem keeping up.” She snorted as she turned on her heel and stalked away, her ear twitching when Eirwen gave a yell of “Onward! before Yang ran to catch up with her, offering her a playful grin as they fell into step together.

Blake sighed inwardly. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

Blake pouted as her daughter walked ahead of her and Yang, toting her newly won giant teddy bear and rambling happily.

“You realise you just showed me up, right?” Blake whined, turning to Yang with a sad expression. “Now how am I supposed to be a cool mum when I’m competing with the cool teacher?”

“Oh, you’re fine.” Yang laughed, the sound wedging itself into Blake’s chest and refusing to budge. “You-“

“Hey, guys! Look at this!” 

The two women gave each other a look and shared a small laugh as they followed Eirwen to when a crowd had gathered in front of a small gated area. As they made their way to the front, Blake quirked a brow at the large rock climbing wall in the centre of it before smirking softly to herself. 

A rock climbing wall was nothing compared to the side of a building, after all.

“Our current time to beat is one minute and ten seconds! Is there anyone brave enough to face the wall? Who is tenacious enough to try?”

“Really? That’s what you call a challenging time to beat?” Blake drawled loudly, earning the attention of the crowd. “That’s barely anything at all.”

“Mum? What are you doing?” Eirwen said, sounding a little anxious, as she looked at the wall and back to Blake. “Mum, no.”

“Mum,  _ yes.” _ Blake corrected, smirking at Yang, who narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“Feisty.” Yang chuckled softly, shaking her head. 

“Well then… I suppose you’d like to try your hand, lil lady?” The man said, sounding fat too smug for Blake’s liking. “So why don’t you come on up?”

“Sure.” Blake said with a nonchalant shrug before shrugging our of her flannel shirt, leaving her in just her black tank top that she held out on the tip of two of her fingers to Yang. “Be a dear and hold this for me would you?” She murmured, rolling out her shoulders, allowing herself a moment to thank her past self for her regular trips to the gym. She winked playfully at both Eirwen and Yang before planting her right hand firmly on the fence and vaulted over it easily.

_ ‘That’s much easier when you don’t have the K-9 unit snapping at your heels.’ _ She thought with morbid amusement, as the man came over to try to to usher her towards the harness.

“Yeah, I won’t be needing that.” Blake snorted, brushing him off and moving to stand in front of the wall, far enough away for a solid running start. She waited until he threw up his arms in exasperation and knelt to the ground, balancing on the balls of her feet and wiggling her weight slightly. 

“Three… two… one… go!”

And Blake was off, running towards the wall and taking a running leap up it, using her hands to hold her balance while her legs propelled her upwards quickly. She moved quickly, though not as quickly as she had years ago, but enough so that she knew, even before she reached the top, that she had won. With a grunt of effort, she slammed her hand against the button at the top and swung herself onto the top of the wall and sat there, crossing one leg over the other and leaning her elbow on her knee, cupping her head in her hand and smirked lazily down at the crowd. She shrugged as the time was called, an impressive forty-five seconds, and began her much slower descent down the wall.

“Oh my God! Mum! Are you okay? That was so cool!” Eirwen said excitedly as Blake walked over to claim her flannel back from a open mouthed Yang. 

“ _ That… _ was barely even a challenge.” Blake said with a breathless laugh, her lungs burning as she turned to Yang and smirked. “So… in your martial artist’s opinion… how was that in terms of skill?”

“I, uh. Col- colour me impressed!” Yang said, her voice sounding a little higher than usual, her ears turning pink. “That was… that really… um..”

“Where did you learn to do that?!”

“I’ve told you before, little one. I wasn’t always a novelist.” Blake said as she tied her flannel around her waist and wandered back over to the announcer to claim her prize. 

But what Blake missed out on as she walked away… was the way her daughter’s eyes gleamed with pride and the quiet murder of “What a woman.” that fell from Yang’s lips.

* * *

“Uh oh… I think someone’s tired.”

Blake glanced up at Yang from across the small picnic table and followed her gaze to see Eirwen leaning on the table, her head resting on her folded arms, eyes closed as her tail twitched slightly. Blake cooed quietly, reaching out a hand to brush her daughter’s too long bangs away from her face and sighed softly, shaking her head fondly before turning to Yang with a small smile.

“I think that’s my cue to head home.” Blake said with a small laugh, standing up to gather her daughter’s things. When she reached out it shake Eirwen awake, Yang gently placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.

“Don’t worry. I got her.” Carefully, Yang scooped the thirteen year old up into her arms and nodded at Blake to lead the way, an oddly tender expression in her eyes.

By the time they had made it back to Blake’s car, Blake found that she really didn’t want to say goodbye. Spending the day with Yang like this made her realise that, despite not knowing Yang that well, she really enjoyed her company.

She couldn’t help but want more of it.

“So, um.” Blake cleared her throat roughly as Yang places Eirwen onto the backseat and buckled her in before closing the door and turning to Blake with an inquisitive expression on her face. “This was fun.”

“It was. Especially seeing you take on that wall like a champ.” Yang teased softly as she leaned against the car with a small smirk. “Gotta say… I’m curious about where you learned to do  _ that.” _

“Well… maybe you’ll find out one of these days.” Blake said, surprised by how  _ coy  _ she sounded, even to her own ears. “I, um. I’d really like to get to know you, Yang.”

“Yeah?” Yang murmured softly, standing up and smiling at Blake warmly.

“Yeah, I mean… as- as friends, y’know?” Blake coughed into a curled fist awkwardly, feeling more like a shy school girl than she had in years. “If… if you’d like?”

“I would like. I would like a lot.” Yang chuckled softly, rubbing her neck as a pretty pink blush blossomed across her cheeks. “Um… well, you already have my number because of junior’s lessons with me… so just like… I dunno… feel free to text me if you wanna, like, chat? Or whatever.”

“Yeah. That sounds nice.” Blake uttered, a she tucked her hair behind her ear and bit her lip. 

“Yeah.” Yang echoed softly, a slow and adorably goofy grin crossing her face.

“Um. I should get this one home to bed but… talk later?” Blake asked, giggling lightly when Yang stuttered out a response. She climbed into her car and waved at Yang through the window as she pulled out, her heart fluttering as Yang gave her a playful, two fingered salute before watching them leave, as though she wanted to make sure they were on their way home safe and sound before leaving herself.

Blake could only hope that she wouldn’t regret her rather impulsive decision in the long run.


	5. There’s A Disaster In Every Generation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so... we see that mother and daughter are far more alike than either cared to admit.

Blake quirked a brow above her sunglasses as she saw a small figure run out of the school gates towards her car, white and black tail twitching excitedly. 

“What’s gotten into her?” Blake murmured to herself as Eirwen ran, her school satchel flying behind her like a cape and kept running… without slowing down…

Right into the side off the car before bouncing off it with a loud grunt.

“Oh, God!” Blake yelped, throwing her glasses off and jumping out to run over to her daughter. Gently, she helped her sit up and let out a small concerned whine as blood trickled out from her daughter’s nose. “Eirwen! Are you okay?”

“I’m great!” Eirwen grinned through the blood excitedly, barely able to stop wiggling energetically as Blake plucked a clean handkerchief from her pocket and carefully used it to staunch the bleeding. “It’s not even that bad!”

“Your blood belongs on the inside of your body, thank you.” Blake huffed, gently pinching Eirwen’s nose and frowning at the still very obvious smile on the girl’s face. “What’s got you so excited that you had to body check my car, anyway? Where’s the fire?”

“I finally spoke to Beau today!” Eirwen giggled, her eyes bright and happy as she smiled a dopey grin. “She’s so cool and smart and pretty and she wants to study at the library together on Saturday and I said I’d ask you and I really wanna go and I hope you’ll say yes because I wanna hang out with her and-“

“Woah, woah, woah!” Blake smirked, laughing slightly as her daughter rambled without pausing for breath. She leaned back to narrow her eyes playfully at Eirwen, biting back a giggle at the blush covering her cheeks. “Are you telling me that my baby has her first date? Huh. No wonder you ran headlong into a car.”

“Moth _ er! _ ” Eirwen groaned as Blake helped her to her feet and gently pushed her towards the back seat. “It’s not a date! We’re just going to study for our new project for class.”

“Okay. Okay.” Blake chuckled, casting her eyes over Eirwen’s nose, satisfied that it wasn’t bleeding anymore. “You have your session with Yang in the afternoon. You can meet Beau at the library after breakfast, study until lunch and then come home to get ready for your class. Sound like a deal?”

“Deal!”

Blake settled into her seat and started her engine, shaking her head fondly at the sight of Eirwen smiling goofily out of her window in the rearview mirror. There was something so sweet and wholesome about a first crush. Discovering those feeling for the first time, stumbling over your own tongue and being so infatuated for the first time in your life…

_ ‘I just hope her first crush will go much better than mine.’ _ Blake thought to herself, her lips twitching into a frown as she remembered the charming smile and the pretty words that had pulled her in, sharp and fast. It hasn’t ended well for her. Not in the slightest. But that was then and this was now. Eirwen wouldn’t make the same mistakes that Blake did and projecting those fears onto her wouldn’t be healthy for anyone, Balke knew that.

Still… a part of her was scared. She didn’t want Eirwen to go through what she did but she knew that she had to give her room to grow… even if it terrified her.

“So…” Blake cleared her throat awkwardly, shaking her head to chase off the darker thoughts that crept in at the corners of her mind. “I’m going to want to meet Beau and her parents before we leave you two alone. Okay?”

“Yeah. Beau said her parents would say the same thing.”

There was a long pause before Eirwen spoke up again, sounding mildly alarmed.

“Wait… that means I have to be alone with her…”

“Uh… I would presume so, hun.”

“Oh.”

“Did you not want to spend more time with her?” Balke asked, glancing back at her daughter for a moment and giving her an odd look. 

“Yeah, well… I didn’t think that I’d get this far so now I’m kind of panicking, mum!”

Blake bit back a laugh as Eirwen flopped dramatically in her seat, letting out a loud whine as she did, her hands gripping her tail firmly to her chest as her cheeks darkened into a violent blush.

Even if Blake had her own scars and fears… she didn’t have the heart to stop her daughter from discovering the joys that  _ should  _ be a first crush.

But if her daughter got  _ hurt… _ that was another matter altogether.

* * *

“That’s adorable.”

“I know, right?” Blake giggled as she rolled over on her bed, laying on her stomach and kicking her feet up as she cupped her head in one hand and held her scroll in the other. She bit her lip as Yang laughed softly in her ear, her cheeks burning as they talked. “I don’t think she’s stopped talking about this girl since they became friends.”

“Aw, c’mon, Blake. Don’t you remember  _ your  _ first crush?” Yang teased before letting out a grunt of effort. “Hang on. Let me put this box down and I’m all yours.”

“Don’t tempt me.” Blake breathed, trying very hard  _ not  _ to imagine Yang’s arms flexing under the stain of lifting a heavy box, sweat beading on her brow as she exerted herself. 

“What?”

“Nothing!” Blake said quickly, her voice cracking and her ears pinning against her hair as she dropped her head to bury her burning face in her blanket. 

_ ‘God. I’m a disaster. Please let my child grow up to be more functional than me when it comes to pretty girls.’ _

“So… okay. I’m done. So let’s talk first crushes.”

“I’d rather not if it’s all the same to you, Yang.” Blake said, her voice shifting, becoming tense as she sat up and reached for a pillow to hug against her chest, her teeth digging into her bottom lip anxiously. “Let’s just say… it wasn’t the most pleasant experience for me.”

“Oh. Yeah, I’m sorry.” Yang said after a long pause that made Blake’s heart drum in her chest painfully. “First crushes can suck sometimes. I remember being, like, 12 and there was this girl in my class that was so far out of my league it wasn’t even funny. It didn’t help that I ended up trying to pick up skateboarding to impress her.”

“Oh no.” Blake laughed weakly, grateful to Yang for picking up on her tension and switching the spotlight away from her. “How did that go?”

“I broke my right arm in two places.”

“Oh God.” Blake snorted, biting her cheek as a genuine laugh bubbles up in her chest. “I shouldn’t laugh but… god, we can be so  _ dumb _ as kids.”

“Tell me about it! I was all limbs at that age. I was such a dork back then.”

“You still are such a dork now.”

“Excuse me?!”

“You’re excused.”

Blake giggled as she fell onto her side, pillow cuddled against her chest as Yang let out a playfully insulted noise. Ever since she and Yang had agreed to get to know each other as friends, the tow had found themselves on a daily basis, be it through text message or through actually calling one another. Most of their conversations resulted in playful teasing that never failed to make Blake laugh. 

It was nice, she decided. To have somebody to talk to like this. To have somebody send her a simple “Good morning!!” or “Goodnight!!” text. To be able to spend hours talking to somebody and lose track of time. To simply enjoy the sound of somebody’s voice in a way she hadn’t for a very long time. 

Blake bit her lips softly, frowning in thought as Yang talked. She  _ really  _ enjoyed spending time with her. And she knew that Eirwen adored Yang to pieces. So…

“Hey, um. Ahem. Yang? Are you doing anything this Sunday evening?”

“Nope. Why’s that? Finally gonna ask me out on a date?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Blake snorted, ignoring the way her pulse jumped at the mere  _ thought  _ of going on a date with Yang. “I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come over for dinner. Eirwen’s been pestering me about the three of us hanging out again since the fair.”

“Is that right?” Yang chuckled softly, her voice warm enough to make Blake melt against her pillows. “Well, I’d hate to disappoint her.”

“Please don’t. If I have to listen to one more “When can we hang out with Yang again?” I might actually die.” Blake joked, reaching up absentmindedly to curl her hair around one of her fingers. “Save me. Please. I beg of you.”

“I doubt that  _ you’re  _ the kind of woman that needs saving, Blake. But sure. I’d love to come over. What time do you want me there?”

“How does six sound?”

“Great. It sounds great.”

“Great!”

Blake flushed as Yang laughed, the sound making her chest ache in the most perfect way. Blake waited until they said their goodbyes before muffling her squeal with her pillow, cheeks burning and heart racing as she rolled onto her back and giggled like a schoolgirl.

“Wait.” Blake muttered aloud as she sat up, eyes going wide as she realised. “What the  _ fuck  _ am I going to cook?”

“That’s a dollar for the swear jar.” Eirwen said, popping her head into Blake’s open door and quirking a brow. “Also… this was probably a bad way to impress Yang considering the last time you tried something complicated, the whole dang fire department showed up because you burned our kitchen down, mum.”

“Shuddup.” Blake mumbled as she fell onto her back with a groan, ignoring the amused giggle that left her daughter. “Don’t you have some drills to run through for Yang, you brat?”

“Yeah… but Auntie Ilia told me that you’re a disaster zone when it comes to pretty girls so I wanted to see it for myself. I didn’t even know you  _ could _ squeal.” Eirwen grinned, managing a loud cackle before Blake hefted a pillow at her face. “How dare you!” Eirwen gasped dramatically before picking up her pillow and brandishing it. “This is war!”

Blake laughed as her daughter charged at her for an impromptu pillow fight and ran, brandishing her own pillow as a weapon.

Worrying about dinner could wait. Right now… she had to show her daughter how a  _ true _ pillow fighter wins a match.


	6. Friends, Old and New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Blake sends her daughter off on her way to a study session with a new friend, she goes out for coffee with an old friend of her own.

Blake had seen a lot of chaos in her day. Growing up around the wrong people and spending time on the wrong side of the tracks would do that to you, she supposed.

“Why the  _ fuck  _ does it look like a bomb went off in here?”

But being a mother had its own set of chaotic surprises that still shocked her five years later.

“Another dollar for the swear jar!” Came the muffled response to her softly stated question, coming from Eirwen’s closet.

Blake blinked slowly and stared around her daughter’s room. Every scrap of clothing, of which there was  _ a lot _ , was thrown haphazardly around the floor and various surfaces. Blake could barely even see the  _ floor  _ as she slowly picked her way through the mess and sat on the bed with a heavy sigh. “I’ll take the penalty. But do you want to explain why your room is a mess?”

“Tryin’ to find something to wear.”

“Uh-huh. And hurling your clothes to the floor was included in that process… how?”

“Because I don’t want her to think I’m lame!”

“Eirwen.” Blake said with a small, fond smile, as a black shirt went flying out of the closet. “You don’t have to impress anyone. Just be yourself and the right people will come into your life.”

“Is that why you’re inviting Yang over to see what an amazing cook you are? Because you’re  _ not  _ trying to impress her?”

“Eirwen!”

“Wait… does that mean you’re admitting that you want her to be the right person?” Eirwen said, as she walked out of her closet dressed in a white hoodie and black jeans, a smug grin on her face as she watched Blake through her still too long bangs. “I wouldn’t be against it, mum. She’s cool.”

“Brush your hair, put on your shoes and get your gear.” Blake grumbled, standing and playfully ruffling her daughter’s hair as she passed her. “We don’t want to be late for your date, do we?”

“It’s not a date!”

Blake snorted as she shut the door behind, ignoring the indignant shout of her very much embarrassed child.

Blake just hoped that Eirwen wouldn’t try anything funny on Sunday.

* * *

“She gets it from you, you know.”

Blake groaned and lifted her head from the coffee shop table to glare at her childhood best friend as she smirked, seemingly pleased with herself. “Fuck you, Ilia.”

“I tried but you’re not into shorter women.”

“Oh my go-“ Blake choked on her tea, her breath getting stuck in her throat as she roughly placed her mug on the table and thumped her chest. She inhaled deeply, trying to get her breathing under control before raising her head to flower at the woman across from her, red hair pulled up into a ponytail that she was currently twirling around her fingers innocently. “Bitch.” She muttered, rolling her eyes and clearing her throat.

“Oh, come on. You  _ know  _ it’s true.” Ilia laughed, her lips twisting up into a sharp grin. “Remember when we were introduced to Coco Adel for your book signing? You practically  _ drooled,  _ Blake.”

“I did not!”

“No, you stopped when she got all flirty with you. Because the moment somebody expresses an interest in you, you run away from it.” Ilia said, her expression softening slightly. She sighed heavily and reached out across the table to hold Blake’s hand, her thumb stroking her wrist gently, soothingly. “I know things with Sun didn’t end well but-“

“Ilia-“

“You don’t have to keep punishing yourself.”

“I’m not!” Blake protested, pinning her ears back against her head as she glared down at the table. “But I have a  _ daughter, _ Ilia. She’s counting on me to give her the best that I can. Sun just… he’s become a good friend but he just wasn’t the sort of person that was ready to be a parental figure. I told you how he reacted, remember?”

“He laughed because he thought you were joking.”

“He did.” Blake sighed softly, biting her lip and exhaling heavily. “I’m a package deal, Ilia. If somebody wants to be a part of my life, then they have to understand that my kid comes before them every time. Eirwen is my priority. Adding into that equation my past and scars… who could possibly want to be a part of that?”

“A lot of people.” Ilia huffed, squeezing Blake’s hand gently. “You’re just not giving them a chance because you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared.” Blake scoffed, ripping her hand away from Ilia and crossing her arms obstinately, ignoring the way her cheeks burned. “I have nothing to be scared of. I just want my daughter to be happy. I’m not going to sacrifice that so I can go out with somebody.”

“Your happiness counts too, hun.” Ilia sighed heavily, casting a sad gaze over Blake before shaking her head and smiling teasingly, changing the subject before Blake could shut down. “But speaking of happy… tell me more about Eirwen’s teacher.”

“Ilia-“

“Don’t growl at me. You  _ know _ I think that’s hot.”

“Ilia!”

“Come on! Eirwen adores this woman for a reason. You’re infatuated with her. I want to know what’s up!”

Blake let herself fall face first into the table with a loud whine. Sometimes, she forgot  _ just  _ how aggravating Ilia could be.

But then again… this good humour and easy conversation had been something she had missed terribly when she had left her family and friends behind for Adam. She couldn’t exactly be mad that she had it back. Not when each time, hearing the familiar teasing tone of her friends voice, a smile crept onto her face despite her protests.

“Talk, Belladonna. Is she hot?”

Blake snorted. “You have no idea.”

And it didn’t hurt to have somebody to ramble to, either.

* * *

Blake shared a knowing look with Yang as Eirwen all but  _ floated  _ into the gym, an dopey grin on her face and a skip in her step.

“So… the study session went well, I’m guessing?” Yang asked Blake through the open car window, her arm braced on top of the car.

“They’re going to the movies next week.” Blake whispered conspiratorially, a grin lacing her words as Yang’s eyebrows shot up. “Apparently, they’re going to be best friends now.”

“God. That is  _ just  _ adorable.” Yang laughed, shaking her head softly and sighing softly. “I remember my first “best friend.”

“Oh, leave them be.” Blake scolded with a giggle, biting her lip when Yang smirked. “They’re young. It’s awkward. Either they’ll figure it out or they’ll have a good friendship.” Blake added, smiling fondly as she remembered her own friendship with Ilia and the shocking realisation that Ilia had loved her romantically at one point. “They’ll be fine.”

“No doubt. It’s still very sweet, though. She’s a good kid. She deserves to have a close friend.” Yang murmured, a fond expression crossing her face as she glanced back toward the gym where Eirwen had disappeared off to. “Ah- I should probably get inside before the kiddo comes out and drags me away. But uh… I just wanted to check in to see if you still wanted me over for dinner tomorrow? Like… is it still at six or…?” Yang said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck and grinning nervously at Blake.

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s still on.” Blake said just as awkwardly, glancing away and picking at the fabric of her black dress with a small huff of laughter. 

“Okay! Good! That’s- that’s good!” Yang said with a relieved little laugh and stood up and smacked the top of Blake’s car. “I-Uh. I should go. Right now. Before-“

“Yeah, I get it, Yang.” Blake giggled, covering her smile with her hand as she watched Yang back up towards the gym with a goofy smile crossing her lips. “I’ll see you later.”

“You too, Blake!”

Blake giggled again and started her ignition, pulling out of the parking lot and headed home to work on her novel; as oblivious as ever to the way her lips stretched into a bright and happy smile as they always did after talking to Yang.

Dinner wouldn’t be too complicated. She could totally pull it off and not embarrass herself in front of the woman that was her daughter’s teacher and her new friend…

...right?


	7. Burning Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its the night of the long awaited dinner...
> 
> But how smoothly will it go?

Blake let out a small groan as she looked into her full body mirror and ran her hands through her hair, grimacing at her reflection as she did. She let out a heavy sigh and quietly examined her outfit; a single off the shoulder cropped shirt with a pair of high waisted jeans that hugged her body, finished with her favourite pair of heeled boots. 

“God. When was the last time I dressed up like this?” She muttered to herself as she made her way to her vanity and ran a critical eye over her makeup. Blake always took pride in how she presented herself… but it had been some time since she  _ fussed _ over it. 

“When you went on a date with Mr. Wukong.”

“Hush.” Blake grumbled, watching in the mirror as her daughter bounced into the room, wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans with converse. She quirked a brow at the image of a bone plated bear on the shirt and rolled her eyes fondly. “Not gonna wear something nicer?”

“This  _ is  _ nice, mum!” Eirwen huffed, tail twitching irritably as she sat on Blake’s bed and watched Blake out on her makeup. “You know you don’t need that stuff, right? If Yang doesn’t think you’re pretty enough without it, she’s not worth your time.”

“I enjoy makeup, thank you very much!”

“Makeup is gross.” Eirwen said with a grimace, her face scrunching up in disgust. “I don’t understand why people wear it. It feels weird.”

“You don’t have to wear it, then.” Blake chuckled as she shifted through her makeup, smirking slightly as her daughter let out a whine at the sight of mascara. “What?”

“Nothing should be going near the eyeballs.” Eirwen muttered, rubbing her forehead and frowning. “You’re gonna go blind like Miss Schnee.”

“Eirwen. What have I said about-“

“About making jokes like that. I know. I’m sorry.” Eirwen said with an apologetic grin. “But Miss Schnee makes those jokes with me all the time. I like her.”

“That’s good. And she helps you, right?”

“Yeah. But it’s hard to talk sometimes.” Eirwen said softly, shrugging as Blake lifted her eyes to meet her gaze in the mirror. “I don’t want anyone to think I’m weak.”

“Needing help is not weakness. It just means that you’ve been too strong for too long.” Blake echoed her own mother’s words, smiling sadly at the memory of Kali all but begging her to get help. “You’ll get there, sweetie.”

Eirwen shrugged and mother and daughter fell into a comfortable silence as Blake went through the motions of doing her makeup and fixing her hair. Once finished, she stood and Eirwen looked up at her and grinned, giving her a thumbs up before her eyes widened and she ran from the room with a shout. “I left my game running! Fudge!”

Blake huffed a small laugh as she made her way to the kitchen, silently running through everything and making sure that it was ready. 

The roast and potatoes were in the oven.

The peas and carrots were ready to be boiled.

The Belladonna family was dressed and ready.

Now all that was needed was-

Blake’s thoughts were cut off by the doorbell ringing and she let out a surprised yelp. She inhaled deeply, running her hands through her hair and nervously making her way to the door and opening it to see Yang standing at her doorstep, a nervous grin on her face.

“Hi!” Yang greeted, as she held out a bouquet of flowers to Blake and rubbed the back of her neck. “Um, these are for you. As thanks for inviting me, y’know?”

“Oh.” Blake breathed, struggling a little to keep up as she ran her gaze over Yang, her mouth rubbing dry. Yang was wearing a button down and vest combo, the shirts top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up past her elbows. Her black jeans hugged her body  _ just  _ right and her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, showing off her strong neck. “Thank you. Uh, come in!” Blake quickly stuttered out, high tailing it back to the kitchen as Yang entered and closed the front door.

“So where’s-“

“Yang!” 

Blake stepped out just in time to see Eirwen fly towards Yang and jump up at her. Yang easily caught her under her arms and spun around, both parties letting out amused laughs before Yang came to a stop and hoisted Eirwen easily onto her hip and grinned at her. “Hey, trouble. Behaving yourself for your mum?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Blake smirked as Eirwen whined, pouting over at her before wiggling to the ground and turning to Blake with a pleading look. “Mum? Beau wanted to play Grimm Eclipse together for a bit. Can I? Pleeeeaaaaase?”

“You know the deal. Play with her until dinner. But once we’re seated at that table, you need to be present and accounted for. Sound good?”

“Yeah! Thanks, mum! You’re the best!”

“Huh.” Yang said quietly, giving Blake an amused look as the young girl ran off. “I guess the novelty of me being here wore off quickly.”

“Oh please.” Blake laughed softly as she led Yang into the living room and sat beside her on the couch. “No teacher is cool enough to win over a pretty girl, don’t you know?”

“Eh, fair enough.” Yang chuckled softly, resting her arm along the back of the couch and turning to look at Blake with a warm smile. “So… how’s the best seller life been treating you? Getting swamped at the grocery store by fans wanting your autograph?” She teased, her lilac eyes shining with mischief.

“Oh, yes. I actually have this one fan that figured where I live. Invited herself over for dinner and sat on my couch.” Blake drawled, smirking as Yang snorted, rolling her eyes at Blake. “The only reason I  _ didn’t _ kick her out would be because she’s pretty.”

Blake froze as the words left her mouth, anxiety bubbling up in her chest as Yang’s cheeks erupted into a fierce blush. Blake cleared her throat and shifted awkwardly, her nails plucking at her jeans nervously. 

“Pretty, huh?” Yang said thoughtfully, biting her lip and meeting Blake’s gaze with a small smile. “Is that  _ all  _ there is to her? I mean… surely there’s more to this  _ poor fan _ than meets the eye.”

“Well…” Blake began, her heart sounding loud to her own ears. Yang was… Was she flirting with Blake? Was she just playing along? Teasing her good naturedly? “I suppose there might be. If she wasn’t so arrogant.” 

“Arrogant? Ouch.” Yang chuckled, smirking as she shifted ever so slightly closer. “You’re gonna break her heart, Miss Belladonna.”

“She’ll live, I’m sure.” Blake said dryly, rolling her eyes fondly. She paused, tucking a strand hair behind her ear and flushing as Yang tracked the movement with her eyes, her smirk softening into a small smile. “So… how have you been?”

“Alright. Can’t complain. I mean… apart from the whole sports festival coming up.” Yang sighed heavily, shaking her head before pinching the bridge of her nose. “I swear, if I have to deal with one more kid belittling another student, I am going to  _ scream _ .”

“That bad?”

“Blake. Hun…. it’s pretty bad.” Yang drawled lazily, bending her elbow and leaning her head in her hand and giving her a weary look. “Some kids just… don’t get that not everyone is capable of the same things. It’s worse when they come from families like the Winchesters, where sports are their lifeblood or something.”

“Ugh. The less said about the Winchesters, the better.” Blake grumbled softly, scrunching up her nose. “The last time I spoke to Cardin- uh-“

“What? What happened?”

“I, uh. I may have punched him in the nose slightly.” Blake said with a sheepish shrug before glaring at Yang as she laughed. “What?”

“God. Now I know where your kid gets it from.” Yang snickered, looking Blake up and down. “Feisty, aren’t you?”

“I’ll have you know that he was grabbing the arm of a faunus woman and I was merely stepping in to help. When he turned his aggression on me, I defended myself, thank you very much.” Blake protested, crossing her arms and glaring at her friend indignantly. “And it was  _ before  _ I had to worry about the whole “good role model” thing.” 

“I’m not judging! I mean, as a teacher? I highly recommend that you don’t punch men in the nose. But as your friend?” Yang grinned, winking playfully as she leaned in conspiratorially. “I don’t blame you.”

“I am so glad that I haven’t tainted your perception of me.” Blake said dryly, swallowing thickly. She couldn’t help but notice that Yang had freckles across her nose and cheeks. For a brief moment, Blake considered counting them, mapping out constellations in her skin. Dragging her fingers softly across Yang’s face and watching as she melted beneath her touch.

_ ‘No. Nuh-uh. Nope.’ _ Blake thought to herself, trying to cut off those thoughts before they could get worse.

“You kiddin’? It just reinforces the fact that you’re a badass.” Yang snorted, though she stayed close, eyes gentle and soft despite her teasing tone. “You obviously know how to fight, you scaled a rock wall without a harness and you’re raising a kid on your own. Pretty badass if you ask me.”

“I didn’t, though.”

“Then I’m volunteering the information.”

“ _ Ugh.  _ Eirwen was right. You  _ are  _ a dork underneath all that muscle.” Blake huffed, flushing as Yang grinned teasingly at her. “What?”

“What? You like my muscles or something?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Blake said, her voice catching in her throat as she thumped Yang’s shoulder gently. She watched as Yang gently caught her hand, and quietly examined it. “Now what?”

“You have tiny hands.” Yang laughed softly, smirking as she moved to place the flat of her palm against Blake’s. “See? Tiny!”

Blake tried to respond but no words left her mouth as they pressed their hands together. Yang was right. Her hands dwarfed Blake’s own slender ones, her fingertips ending a good inch below Yang’s. Yang’s hand was warm, much warmer than Blake’s own cool one and Blake found herself wondering if the rest of her was just as warm. Her arms, her body, her lips… Blake couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like to be encompassed by Yang’s warmth.

“Blake?” Yang said softly, her smirk dropping, her expression softening as her hand shifted to gently hold Blake’s hand, her thumb brushing the back of it softly.

“Yeah?” Blake breathed, struggling to fight back the urge to let herself drown in oceans of lilac, her heart racing and her skin flushing as Yang spoke.

“I-“

What Yang wanted to say, Blake never found out. Because just as she started to speak, a loud, shrill beeping came from the kitchen, sending a shooting pain into Blake’s feline ears.

“Fuck! The roast!” Blake hissed, gripping at her throbbing ears as she bolted from her seat and ran to the kitchen. She grabbed a tea towel and used it to open the oven, coughing and waving it at the open door as smoke exited. “Shit!”

“That’s two dollars for the swear jar.”

Blake froze and slowly turned to stare blankly at Eirwen as she entered the kitchen holding her nose. Yang stood beside, covering her mouth and very obviously trying not to laugh. Blake stood and calmly snagged her handbag from the kitchen counter and pulled out three dollars and made a big show of placing it into the jar. “Fuck the swear jar.” She said far too sweetly, rolling her eyes as Eirwen began to giggle and Yang let out a small snort of laughter.

“Okay. Let’s see what the damage is.” Blake muttered with a wince as she walked back to the oven and turned it off. Carefully, she used an oven mitt to pull out the tray and, with two curious heads peering over her shoulder, let out a groan at the sight of the burnt dish. 

“You burned it, mum.”

“Yes, thank you, Eirwen.”

“Pretty badly. Blake.”

Blake slowly turned to shoot Yang a glare, who merely held up her hands and back up, smirking. Blake sighed heavily and let out a small, self deprecating laugh. “Okay. How do you wise guy critics feel about pizza?”

“Oh! Can we eat it in the living room and have a movie night?” Eirwen asked excitedly, jumping up and down as she looked in between the two adults. “Please?”

“We can watch  _ one _ movie. You both have school tomorrow.” Blake said, rolling her eyes when Yang and Eirwen high fived.

“I bet you you’re not getting your usual seafood pizza because you don’t want Yang to see you scoffing it down.”

“Eirwen!”

Blake ignored the laughter that followed and grabbed her scroll, grumbling under her breath as she ordered their meal and trying very hard not to smile. 

Yang really did seem to fit in, didn’t she?

* * *

The dinner and movie was a far less dramatic affair than Blake’s attempt at cooking and soon enough, the movie was over and Blake was smiling fondly down at her daughter, who had fallen into her lap near the end of the movie and was now asleep.

“Cute.” Blake turned to see Yang smile, shaking her head with a small chuckle. “You gonna wake her?”

“No, she always falls asleep during movie nights.” Blake chuckled as she slowly slipped out from under Eirwen’s head and carefully picked her up with a grunt of effort. “Give me a moment.”

“Here, let me.” Yang said quietly as she gently took Eirwen. “I’ve got her.”

Blake rolled her eyes but didn’t protest. It wasn’t as easy to pick up a thirteen year old as it was an eight year old, after all. Blake led Yang to Eirwen’s room and silently and carefully, they placed her in bed and took off her shoes. Yang watched as Blake tucked her in, brushing her bangs back and kissing her forehead before they silently crept out and made their way back to the main hall.

“I should probably go. I have work and all that.” Yang said softly as she glanced reluctantly at the door before turning back to Blake with a lopsided smile. “Thanks for having me.”

“No, thank you for coming over. And with flowers, no less.” Blake retorted, smirking slightly as Yang blushed. “This was… fun.”

“Yeah. It was.” Yang murmured, biting her lip and looking away before glancing back at Blake. “I’ll be off now but um… you have a good night, Blake.”

“You too, Yang.” Blake returned as she opened the door and let Yang out. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Yang said, hesitating for a moment before ducking forward and kissing Blake cheek.

Blake froze, stunned, and unsure of what to do. But soon, too soon, Yang was pulling away and clearing her throat, offering Blake a smile before walking out of the door and towards her car. Blake watched her go, her pulse feeling more like a sledgehammer than anything. Slowly, she closed the door and sank back against it, her teeth catching her bottom lip as she tried to fight back a giddy smile. She rested her head against the door, her fingers reaching up to graze the spot that Yang had pressed her lips to. She was right. Yang’s lips had been just as warm as her hand and now… Blake found herself wanting more.

But as she opened her eyes and found herself looking at a family portrait of her and Eirwen, guilt began to circle in her chest. Maybe she did want more than friendship with Yang.

But it was like she had told Ilia; Eirwen was her priority. If she pursued Yang and it ended horribly, how would that affect a child that had already gone through so much hurt and loss?

Could Blake really take that risk?


	8. Trouble Starts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake finds herself falling deeper into... whatever it is that she has with Yang.
> 
> Meanwhile, young Eirwen poses a question that Blake can’t quite answer.

Blake blinked in surprise as Yang gave her a wicked grin across the gym and beckoned her with two fingers in a come hither motion.

“You see, Eirwen. There’s many different types of fighting. I’m a martial artist, for example. I’m disciplined and controlled. But your mother over there… from what she tells me, she’s a street fighter-“

“Was a street fighter.” Blake corrected Yang, rolling her eyes with a small huff. “It’s been years since I’ve actually fought.”

“You ran up a bloody wall without any equipment.” Yang deadpanned, lifting her arm to rest it on top of an indignant Eirwen’s head. She smirked at Blake, her lilac eyes dancing playfully. “I’m willing to bet that you’ve still got it, Miss Belladonna. Or perhaps… you’d care to make it worth your while?”

“Oh God.” Eirwen groaned, flopping dramatically to the floor with a loud whine. “Don’t challenge her. Please. She’ll accept it and then she’ll, like, get her butt kicked. Please don’t hurt my mum.”

“I’m not going to hurt her. Just a playful lil’ spar, kiddo.” Yang chuckled, gently poking Eirwen’s cheek with her foot.

“Ew!” Eirwen shrieked, flailing and jumping to her feet and pointing at Yang. “Gross! Now I  _ hope  _ mum whoops your butt!”

“What are the terms?” Blake asked, already shifting her weight eagerly. She always did enjoy a challenge. “Loser has to buy lunch for Eirwen and the winner?”

“Sounds good to me.” Blake said as she slowly stood and stretched, grateful that she had chosen to wear leggings and an oversized shirt that morning. She smirked lazily at Yang, rolling out her joints as she walked over. “Just don’t go crying to Eirwen when you lose.”

“Oh, please. When  _ you  _ lose, feel free to use my shoulder as a place to cry on.”

“Cocky.”

“Confident.”

“Arrogant.”

“Why are adults so weird?” Eirwen muttered, as she walked by Blake, making a face. “Just say that you want to kiss each other’s faces and be done with it.”

Blake and Yang froze, faces flushing as Eirwen walked over to Blake’s bench and sat down, watching them quietly with an eyebrow lifted in a perfect imitation of Blake’s amused smirk. “I swear she’s getting more cheeky the older she gets.” Blake sighed, giving Yang an awkward smile as she took her place at one end of the sparring mat.

“I’m pretty sure that it’s just your influence, Blake.” Yang drawled teasingly, slipping into a boxer’s stance that Blake often saw Eirwen practicing. “You ready?”

“Sure.” Blake said softly, raising her fists to guard her face and bending her knees. “Let’s go.”

Yang was a powerful fighter. Smart too, Blake noted, as she took her time to watch Blake fight. Yang took blows and returned them quickly, absorbing Blake’s hits before dishing them straight back out. Blake, however, was smaller, more sly; darting in and out quickly and aiming for the weakest spots she could. She nimbly avoided Yang’s grabs like an eel, twisting her flexible body and rolling away. But the longer they fought, the more exerted she became. Yang had a high endurance when it came to fighting, taking hits and timing her own strikes well. Blake knew that, if she wanted to win, she’d have to fight low and fight dirty.

“Come on, sunshine.” Blake all but purred into Yang’s ear as she deftly avoided another grapple. “Is that all you’ve got? What happened to always living up to your words?”

Blake gasped as Yang’s eyes seemed to flash almost red at the blatant challenge, ducking under her arm and rolling away. She grinned up at her, her blood pumping through her veins in a way it hadn’t for many years. She could feel her adrenaline spike and she felt the old thrill she had always loved during a successful theft.

She didn’t miss the action… but she did miss the thrill.

But all good things must come to an end and soon, Blake’s step faltered and Yang took advantage, twisting her arm behind her back with one hand as the other gripped her shoulder firmly to keep her close. “Damn it!”

“Give up?” Yang said with a breathless laugh into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “I’m pretty sure that you’re done, Blake.”

“I’m not that easy.” Blake hissed, smirking as an idea came to mind. “But you might be.”

“What do you mean-“

Blake stepped back, pressing back against Yang’s body and craning her head back and pressing her lips to the underside of Yang’s jaw. She waited until Yang froze before lifting a foot and hooking it around Yang’s ankle and pulling, sending them both crashing to the ground with matching grunts. She rolled off of Yang and took advantage of her friend’s winded state by straddling her hips and pinning her wrists to the mat as she grinned down at her, both of their chests heaving.

“That… was so dirty.” Yang whined, pouting up at her as Blake giggled. “So unfair.”

“You said it yourself.” Blake said, still breathless as she let go and sat up. “Never underestimate your opponent.”

“You should take your own advice.”

Blake yelped as Yang bucked her off, sending her sprawling to the mat where she lay frozen for a long moment. She glanced over at Yang, who merely smirked at her, before a slow giggle fell from her lips and soon enough, both women were laughing together, loud and amused before an excited voice piped up;

“Mum totally won that! Yang! You have to pay for lunch!”

Yang snorted and gave Blake a lopsided grin, making Blake’s heart race for an entirely new reason as she stood, offering a hand to Blake and helping her to her feet. “Yeah.” She murmured softly, tilting her head at Blake for a moment as her thumb brushed the inside of Blake’s wrist. “I guess I do.”

Blake swallowed thickly as Yang pulled back and walked over to an excited Eirwen, who seemed quite intent on teasing Yang about losing to a novelist. Blake, however, stayed where she was as she struggled against the wave of emotions coursing through her chest.

She was in trouble.

She was in  _ so  _ much trouble.

* * *

It was several days later that Blake frowned as she watched Eirwen pick at her dinner, pushing her food around her plate with a despondent expression on her face. Blake bit her cheek, worry creeping up in her chest as Eirwen placed her fork down on the table and looked up at her with a sad, frustrated expression.

“Mum?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Why didn’t my parents want me? My real parents.”

Blake inhaled sharply, her hand tightening around her fork as her body tensed. She had been dreading this conversation for years but she knew that it was only natural for Eirwen to grow curious about the people that brought her into this world. Blake was just sad that she didn’t have the answers that her daughter wanted.

“What makes you think that they didn’t want you?” Blake asked softly, gently, fearful of hurting her child. Her ears flicked nervously as she folded her hands on the table and met Eirwen’s gaze. “There are many reasons why parents give up their children. Some of them fall into hard times. Some of them make mistakes. Some of them just… know that they’re not what their baby needs.”

“Yeah… but why did  _ mine  _ give me up?” Eirwen said, her voice cracking as she grabbed her tail, rubbing the black and white fur anxiously. She refused to look Blake in the eye, her lips pulling into a thin, upset line. “Was I an accident? Did- when I was born, did they not like me? Why didn’t they love me enough to keep me?”

“Oh, honey.” Blake murmured, her heart breaking as tears filled Eirwen blue-grey eyes. She stayed in her seat, leaning forward to speak quietly to her daughter as she began to shut down. “I’m sure that they loved you. But sometimes… people make choices and we don’t always understand them. People are…  _ complicated. _ ”

“Can you find out?”

“I-“ Blake sighed heavily, closing her eyes tightly. She wanted to. She really did. “I would if I could, baby girl. But the orphanage has very strict confidentiality rules. My hands are tied.”

“Auntie Ilia said you used to sneak into building to steal stuff all of the time! Couldn’t you-“

“Your Auntie really shouldn’t be telling you those stories.” Blake said, her ears pinning in agitation. She and Ilia would have to have a nice, long talk about  _ that.  _ “I gave up that life a long time ago. If I got caught, I could get into a lot of trouble. Worse, I could lose  _ you. _ ” Blake’s voice hitched painfully at the thought of losing Eirwen, her chest clenching painfully. “I can’t, sweetie. That’s not a risk I can take.”

“... fine. Whatever.” Eirwen muttered, standing up from her chair and stalking away, her tail twitching angrily. “I’m going to my room.”

“Eirwen, wait. Honey-“

Blake flinched as the door to her daughter’s room slammed shut and she covered her face with her hands, groaning in frustration. She wanted to give her daughter what she wanted. She wanted to provide the answers she sought.

But the last time she broke into a building to steal important documents, she got caught and sent back to her parents. She knew that it had been for the best but she also knew that it meant that her record wasn’t as clean as it could be. If she stepped out of line, did anything that might affect her record again, she could lose her baby.

Blake wasn’t going to take that risk. Eirwen mattered too much to her, after all.

  
  



	9. A Child’s Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young Eirwen makes plans to hang out with her friend while Blake continues to fail at keeping her distance from her child’s teacher.

“Mother _fucker!”_

Blake cursed as she cut her finger, hissing as she ran over to the kitchen sink and leaving behind the vegetables that she was cutting. She glanced up as Eirwen entered the kitchen, a small frown crossing her tired features as she walked up to Blake and looked at her hand worriedly. “Yes, I know. A dollar for the swear jar.”

“Wait here. I’ll go grab the first aid kit.” Eirwen said quickly, turning in her heel and running off, her tail waving behind her as she ran. Blake smiled fondly as her daughter came back, kit in hand and gently took her hand and began to clean and patch her up without another word.

“You know… I’m pretty sure I’m the one meant to be patching you up when you get hurt.”

“Yeah, but I’m not a disaster in the kitchen.” Eirwen muttered as she placed a bandaid on the cut and stepped back, a jaw cracking yawn leaving her throat as she stretched. “You were thinking about Yang again, weren’t you?”

“No! I was _not_ thinking about Yang again.” Blake protested, though she couldn’t help but feel relieved to see that Eirwen was feeling better enough from their disagreements the week prior to tease her. “What makes you think I was?”

“Mother, please.” Eirwen huffed as she jumped onto the far counter and plucked a piece of carrot off of the cutting board and chucked it at Blake’s head lazily. “You never cut yourself. Not like that, at any rate. Plus, you’re blushing.”

“Because my child is embarrassing me.” Blake growled playfully, reaching up to her hair and plucking the carrot from her hair and glaring balefully at it. “Fu-ahem. I mean… hecking carrot.” She muttered, smiling when Eirwen let out a tired giggle. “You okay, honey? You look tired.” She asked gently, as she crossed her arms and frowned in concern, her ears flicking forward as her daughter shifted uncomfortably.

“I’m fine. Just… a school project keeping me and Beau up.” Eirwen muttered, looking away from Blake as she nervously fidgeted with her tail. “Um… mum? Beau wants to know if I can hang out with her tomorrow?”

“It’s a Sunday… as long as your homework is done and you’re back before dinner, that’s alright with me. Just take your scroll and keep me updated on where you are at all times.” Blake said firmly, quirking a brow as Eirwen nodded and hopped off of her perch. “Where are you off to?”

“My room.”

Blake blew a small breath out through her nose, her ears flicking back worriedly. Eirwen was much more tired as of late, often retreating to her room and staying there. It concerned Blake a great deal but she knew from experience that forcing the issue would just result in Eirwen shutting down even further. But it had been some time since she and her friend had been able to have a day to themselves so perhaps the girl just needed some quality time with her best friend, Blake reasoned.

All she could do was take measures to ensure that Eirwen could stay safe and be there for her when she was ready to talk. 

* * *

“Relax. Eirwen’s a teenager. She’s just dealing with emotions and hormones.” Yang spoke gently as Blake sat beside her on the Belladonna family couch much later that afternoon as Eirwen played video games in her room. “Plus, she’s trying to come to terms with not knowing about her birth parents. Kid’s got a good support network. Just give her some time.”

“I know. But I just wish there was more that I could do.” Blake groaned as she covered her face with her hands, frustration bubbling up in her chest. “If I could, I’d just steal those documents myself. But with my record, one wrong move could result in her getting taken away from me.”

“Your record?” Yang asked, tilting her head curiously. “What? Were you a bad girl or something?”

“Ah- kind of.” Blake sighed, wincing slightly. “I was a bit of a moody teenager and fell in with the wrong crowd after I met a boy. We did a lot of pretty illegal stuff. Breaking and entering, stealing… that sort of thing.”

“Oh. So you could totally pull off a heist, huh?”

“Give me a distraction and five minutes to scale a building, enter it and steal and yeah. I could pull it off.” Blake chuckled, rolling her eyes as Yang gave her a pleased look, as though making her laugh had been the intended goal. 

“So… you used to be a rebel. Anything else about your mysterious past I should know about?” Yang asked teasingly, smirking lightly at Blake.

Blake paused, her chest clenching as memories of Adam came to mind. The bruises and cold words, all of his empty promises and manipulative lies. She remembered his touch, how it used to terrify her. She remembered him and she found herself looking down at her lap with a pained frown, her teeth digging into her lip as she debated on how much to tell Yang.

“Hey, you okay?” Yang asked gently, leaning forward to meet Blake’s eyes worriedly. “Blake?”

“Ah- fine. I’m fine. Just thinking.” Blake said, clearing her throat roughly and giving Yang a shaky smile. “Unfortunately, you still need a couple more friendship points to unlock my tragic backstory.” She joked weakly, shoulders tense as Yang watched her carefully.

“Then I guess it's a good thing that I’m not going anywhere.” Yang murmured, her tone soft and compassionate as she reached out to curl her hand around Blake’s gently, her thumb stroking her knuckles tenderly.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Yang answered with a small smile as she pulled away to lean back against the couch. “Somebody’s gotta whip that kid of yours into shape, after all.” She added with a teasing wink, offering Blake an easy out from the tense conversation.

“And here I was thinking that you stuck around for my amazing culinary skills.” Blake deadpanned, relief flooding her as she took the chance Yang offered. 

Blake smiled as Yang laughed, a small chuckle of her own leaving her lips as Yang gave her a gentle and playful push against her knee. Something about Yang, how warm and gentle and wonderful she was, felt so natural and right to be around. A small part of her hoped that the feeling was mutual.

But as they talked, both women failed to realise that a pair of little ears had been listening in as they talked about Blake’s past, filling a young mind with ideas for plan of their own.


	10. Interrupted Again...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Eirwen spends the day with her friend, Blake gratefully accepts Yang offer to help distract her.
> 
> But as always... they get interrupted.

“Okay. Blake… calm down.”

“Calm down? What calm down? I’m already perfectly calm, thank you very much.” Blake snorted into her phone, as she paced back and forth in a very much not calm manner. “I’m just saying that Eirwen was supposed to text me half an hour ago and she hasn’t done that. I feel like, as her mother, I have a right to be concerned, Yang.”

“You do. But you’re going to pace yourself into a panic attack or something.” Yang said, a teasing tone in her voice that made Blake huff irritably, even as a fond smile crossed her face. “The kid’s probably just having such a fun time with Beau that she lost track of time. You should see them in class, Blake. I practically have to grab a damn crowbar to get them to stop gazing at each other when they think the other one isn’t watching.” 

Blake giggled, covering her mouth as she leaned against the back of her couch and bit her lip. Yang wasn’t wrong. It was very easy to lose track of time and space when you were with somebody you liked. But that didn’t stop Blake from being worried. She knew from experience that so much could go so wrong so very quickly. She sighed heavily and rubbed her jaw, closing her eyes wearily. “Fair point… but I’m still worried.”

“Hey, why don’t you come over to my place for a bit? I can help distract you until she does text you. What do you think?”

_ ‘I think that you already do a good job of distracting me as it is.’  _ Blake thought to herself, rolling her eyes to herself before answering. “You know? Sure. I’ll be there in ten.”

“Great! See you then!”

Blake stared at her scroll when Yang hung up, blinking slowly before letting out a loud, pained groan as her ears pinned flat against her skull.

She was doing a spending job of keeping her distance from Yang, wasn’t she?

* * *

“... see, mama bear? I told you that she just got distracted by a pretty girl.”

Blake huffed as she types out a quick reply to Eirwen, grumbling under her breath at Yang’s playfully smug tone of voice. “Shut up. It’s my job to worry about her.”

“No, it’s cute. A lot of birth mothers don’t have half of the love for their kids that you have for Eirwen. It’s really beautiful that you care so much about her.” Yang said softly, and when Blake turned to look at her, her lilac gaze was distant and far away, her jaw clenching slightly as though her thoughts dwelled on something painful for her. “Eirwen’s lucky to have you.”

“I’m the lucky one. She’s not an easy kid but neither was I. And considering the tough time she had in foster care…” Blake sucked in a breath, remembering the early days of taking Eirwen into her home, how slow the young girl had been to feel comfortable and safe with Blake. “I actually never expected her to call me “mum,” you know. She was eight years old and already was so suspicious of people. As though I would just pack her up and throw her back onto the orphanage steps.”

“Poor scrap.” Yang murmured, leaning her head in her hand as she rested her elbow on the back of her couch. She frowned for a moment before smiling warmly at Blake, making her heart flutter in response. “But she calls you mum now. When did that happen?”

“She had just turned nine and my best friend and I had taken her to a museum. She was fascinated by the medieval section. It was adorable.” Blake chuckled softly, smiling at the nostalgia of the memory. “By the time we made it back home, she was so tired. I sent her to her room to have a nap before dinner but before she left… she walked up to where I was sitting and hugged me. She said “Thank you, mama.” before walking to her room and I was, well, I was pretty shocked.”

“Aw.”

“Yeah.” Blake sniffed, blinking back the tears that had started to gather in her eyes and wiping them away with a small, embarrassed laugh. “I cried then, too, and Ilia still won’t let me live it down.”

“You’re adorable.” Yang chuckled softly, her smile gentle and fond as she gazed at Blake. 

“Shut up.” Blake muttered, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms. “Be serious, Yang.”

“I am.” Yang said, shuffling closer and biting her lip nervously. “You’re…  _ incredible _ , Blake. You’re smart, beautiful and kind. You’ve created a safe home for a little girl that needed it and you’re somebody that she can turn to. Not a lot of people could do that.”

“I just wanted to give a child the second chance that  _ I  _ was given. It’s not that special, Yang.” Blake said quietly, looking down at her lap. “She deserves to be happy.”

“So do you.”

Blake flinched, letting out a small gasp as warm fingers tucked her hair behind her ear, moving slowly enough that she could pull away. She raised her head to meet Yang’s gaze and felt her chest tighten at the utterly  _ tender  _ expression on Yang’s face. A small, shaky breath left her lips as she leaned into Yang’s palm, closing her eyes as her thumb grazed her cheek gently. 

“You’re one hell of a woman, Blake Belladonna.” Yang murmured as she leaned forward to press their foreheads together, her breath ghosting over Blake’s lips in a most tantalising manner. 

“How can you possibly know that after only a few months?”

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to stick around to see if my hypothesis is correct.”

“And if it’s not?” Blake found herself asking, even as one hand curled around Yang’s wrist and the other gripped at the hem of Yang’s sweater. “If you find somebody that’s broken, then what?”

“Why would that be such a bad thing?”

“Because broken parts can cut deep, Yang.”

“I think you’re worth that risk.”

Blake inhaled sharply, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to remember the list of reasons she had for why this would be a bad idea. How it would just hurt everyone involved. But with Yang’s warmth beside her, her breath brushing against Blake’s lips and her hand framing Blake’s jaw, Blake suddenly found it very hard to remember a single reason. 

“I  _ really _ like you, Blake. You’ve become really important to me. But if you want me to back off, I will. Just tell me what you want and I’ll respect that.” Yang said gently, her free hand moving to rest in Blake’s knee, her thumb gently rubbing soothing circles into it. “What do you  _ want _ ?”

“I want you to kiss me.” Blake breathed out, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop them. But she found that she didn’t regret them. “Please.”

Yang waited for a beat, as though to give Blake time to reconsider, before she leaned in and gently claimed Blake’s lips with her own. Blake made a small noise in her throat as she reached up to cup Yang’s jaw, pulling her closer as Yang moved to curl her hands around Blake’s waist. A small whimper escaped her as Yang’s thumbs stroked her sides, encouraging her to wrap her arms around Yang’s neck to deepen their kiss. Her back arched into Yang as she carved a path up Blake’s spine to thread a hand gently into her hair, fingers soft and tender as Blake whined against her lips.

“Yang…” Blake mumbled, feeling slightly incoherent and flushed as Yang pulled away, giving them both a chance to catch their breath.

“Holy grapes.” Yang breathed out slowly, a dazed grin spreading across her lips as she butted her head against Blake’s. “That was…  _ wow.” _

“Grapes?” Blake giggled, breathless and giddy, her hands falling to Yang’s collar as she pulled back to quirk her brow at her. “You sound like an after school t.v show host. You know that, right?”

“I work with kids all day. I can’t curse like you, Miss “My swear jar is almost full.” Yang growled playfully, before hitting her bottom lip out in a pout. “So shut up.”

“Make me.”

Yang’s eyes widened at the low challenge that left Blake’s lips, her gaze narrowing when Blake tugged at her sweater slightly. She leaned forward and brushed their lip together before making her way to Blake’s ear and planting a soft kiss along her jaw and making her way slowly to Blake’s mouth. Blake’s eyes drifted shut as Yang kissed her…

And slammed open at the sound of her scroll going off.

“Shit!” She yelped, falling off of Yang’s couch as she scrambled for her phone, purposely ignoring the amused snort that left her… friend? What did she even call Yang at this point? “Hello?” She said, wincing at the way her voice cracked. 

“Is that Miss Blake Belladonna?” A man’s voice said into her ear, as she leaned back against the couch.

“Ye-Yeah. Who’s calling, if I may ask?” Blake responded, frowning in confusion as she gave Yang a worried look. 

“My name is Officer Ebi and I’m going to need you to come down to the precinct. We have your daughter in custody.”

“... I’m sorry.  _ What?!”  _ Blake gasped, her blood running much colder than it had before. “What do you  _ mean _ you have my daughter in custody? _ What happened?! _ ”

“She’s been arrested for breaking and entering, as well as attempted theft of legal documents. The victim has decided not to press charges but wishes to speak with you when you arrive. Please be as prompt as possible.”

Blake slowly hung up her scroll and stared blankly at the far wall before turning to Yang. “Eirwen’s been arrested. I need to go. We’ll- we’ll talk about this later, I promise but I-“

“What? No! Of course. Go.” Yang said softly as she helped Blake to her feet and escorted her to the door. “Want me to come with?”

“No. No, it’s fine. I’ve got it.” Blake muttered as she walked past Yang and gave her a weak smile. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay. Be safe?”

Blake nodded and quickly ran to her car, one thought and one thought only in her mind; to find out what the fuck her daughter just got herself into.

* * *

“How could you be so reckless?!” Blake growled as she threw her purse onto the kitchen table and turned to face Eirwen with a sharp glare. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you could have gotten into? Breaking into the orphanage and stealing paperwork? What were you  _ thinking?!” _

“I wanted answers!”

“And this was the wrong way to go about it!” Blake snapped as she began to angrily pace back and forth, her hands fisting into her own hair as Eirwen glared at the floor. “Matron Goodwitch wants to see us tomorrow. I  _ told  _ you that my record isn’t clean, Eirwen. One wrong move and they could take you away from me! We’re both on thin ice here so I hope you’re happy with yourself.”

“Yeah, I’m real happy about the fact that my parents decided that I was a mistake! That I wasn’t worth keeping!” Eirwen snarled back, her hands gripping her tail tightly. “I’m so happy that they abandoned me the first chance that they got! So happy!”

“Eirwen… I’m sorry. I really, really am, honey. But what you just did… I might lose you-“

“Yeah, well at least you wouldn’t be stuck with your little obligation anymore.”

“Excuse me?” Blake gasped, staring at her daughter in shock as she took a step back. “What do-“

“It was in the stupid file. You decided to give a kid a second chance because you got one. You felt obligated to. And then… you lied to me for five years! You knew my parents didn’t want me! The file said that they discussed my adoption with you! You knew! And you still lied to me!”

“Eirwen… I would never do something like that to you. I’m your mother-“

“No! You’re not my real mum!” Eirwen snapped, glaring hatefully up at Blake. “You’re a liar and I hate you! I  _ hope _ they take me away from you!”

A cold chill fell across the room as Blake’s heart dropped. She clamped her hand across her mouth, eyes wide and quickly filling with tears as she backed up. A shaky breath left her nose as she bowed her head, chest tight and painful as Eirwen’s angry breaths died down. When Blake finally looked up at her, Eirwen’s eyes were wide with horror.

“I-“

“Go to your room.” Blake said quietly, voice purposely masked as she turned and made her way to her own bedroom. “Just-  _ please. _ Go to your room.”

Blake didn’t let her tears fall until her door had slammed shut and she leaned against it, slowly sliding to the floor as she muffled her sobs with her hand. She thought she knew what pain felt like. She was intimately familiar with it. But her daughter’s words cut througher quicker than she thought was possible.

But little did Blake know that that pain would be overwhelmed by the panic she would feel later that afternoon when she would walk past Eirwen’s room and peek in to check on her…

Only to see an empty bed, her bag gone and her closet missing a handful of clothes; her heart shattering as she gazed upon the broken frame of their family portrait beside the open window.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry!


	11. From One Daughter... To Another

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for a little girl begins. But when she’s found, can she be convinced to willingly go back home?

Yang had watched Blake leave with a worried crease developing across her forehead, her stomach coiling tight with anxiety. She knew that Eirwen struggled a lot. But she had never thought that it would lead to the kid getting arrested. 

“Shit, Eirwen. What did you do, kiddo?” Yang murmured to herself as she flopped back onto her couch, biting her bottom lip worriedly. It had hurt to see Blake so anxious. Just like it hurt to think about the consequences that could occur. The Belladonna girls meant the world to Yang. The idea of them both hurting filled her with a sense of dread that she hadn’t felt in many years.

Yang sighed and reclined her head back against her couch, closing her eyes and rubbing her face wearily. All she could do was hope and pray that everything would turn out okay.

She didn’t know if she had the strength to watch another family fall apart.

* * *

“Ah, fuck!” Yang hissed as the blaring of her scroll rang from the coffee table, waking her up from her fitful nap. She reached over to answer it, bringing it close to her ear with a sleepy groan as she recognised the caller I.D. “Blake? What’s-“

“She’s gone!” Blake panicked voices sounded from the scroll. “Eirwen is  _ gone!” _

“Gone? Gone where? What’s happening, Blake? What’s wrong?” Yang said, now wide awake as she sat up, her free hand fisting her sweater nervously. 

“Eirwen broke into the fucking orphanage to steal her paperwork, Yang! We got into a fight and- and she told me she  _ hates  _ me and hopes they take her away.” Blake’s voice hitched painfully in Yang’s ear, pulling harshly at her heartstrings as she heard the sounds of Blake grabbing something on the other end of the line. “I sent her to her room and when I went to check on her, her things were missing and- and our family portrait was broken and I-  _ I need to find my daughter, Yang _ !”

“Hey, shhh.” Yang soothed gently as she quickly walked to grab her shoes, stuffing her feet into them and grabbing her car keys before running to her garage. “Blake, honey, we’re going to find her. Okay? I promise.”

“Just… can you call Weiss and get her to help you search your side of town? Ilia and I will take ours.” Blake’s voice broke, a small sob leaving her throat that made Yang pause, desperately wishing she could pull the young mother into a tight hug. “I- if something happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“It’s going to be okay. She’s a smart and strong kid, Blake. We’ll find her. We’ll bring her back home. And then, you can both have a talk. Okay?” Yang said with gentle firmness as she unlocked and opened her car, sliding into the front seat quickly. “I promise, Blake.”

“Okay. Yeah. Sure.” Blake whispered shakily, her voice ragged and raw. “I have to go. But keep me updated?”

“Of course. Stay safe.”

“You too.”

Yang stared at her scroll for a moment before letting out a shaky breath of her own, her trembling fingers dialing Weiss. Weiss, no nonsense and analytical, who knew Eirwen well from their therapy sessions, would prove to be a useful addition to their search party. 

“Yang, I  _ told  _ you that I’m not letting you set me up on a blind date with your sister-“

“Weiss. We need your help. Eirwen’s missing.”

“Missing?! What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Yang inhaled deeply, bracing herself to explain what little she knew to her best friend.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

“Eirwen! Come on, kid. Where are you?”

Yang ran her hand through her hair as she jumped out of her car and ran toward her gym. She knew that the chances of Eirwen running there were slim but the way she figured it, Eirwen was in a state of extreme emotional distress. It made sense for her to go to a place where she felt happy and safe.

“Eir-“ Yang’s voice cut off at the sight of a tiny body curled up against the door of the gym, head resting against the glass and their hands gripping a snow white tail in a vice like grip as heartbroken sobs racked their small form. “Eirwen? Oh.  _ Oh, sweetie.  _ There you are.” Yang breathed out as she kneeled in front of the little girl. “You scared us half to death. What are you doing here?”

“Stay away from me!” Eirwen snarled, her blue-grey eyes bright with pain as her lips contorted into a grimace. “I’m not going back!”

“I can’t do that, kiddo. You  _ know  _ I can’t do that.” Yang said softly as she shifted to sit across from her, heart racing as she tried to come up with a way to get through to Eirwen. “It’s okay to be angry. You’re allowed to feel hurt. I know how painful it is-“

“No. No, you don’t!” Eirwen curled in on herself even tighter, her tiny shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs. “You don’t understand what it’s like! My parents abandoned me! You don’t get it!”

Yang flinched, her chest twisting painfully as black hair and blood red eyes came to mind. A sneering smile and a condescending voice, only capable of making broken promises. Yang swallowed thickly and let her head full back against the wall with a mirthless chuckle. “I don’t get it, do I?” She mused, a bitter smile tugging at her lips as she lowered her head to meet Eirwen’s confused gaze. “Have I ever told you about my mum?”

Eirwen shook her head, her gaze narrowing suspiciously at Yang as she played with the fur on her tail anxiously. Yang softened at the sight and crossed her legs, leaning forward on them and sighing heavily. “Her name was Summer Rose and she was, like, Super Mum. Baker of Cookies and Kicker of Ass. She ran her own business… but she  _ always  _ made time for her family. She loved us fiercely and without condition. She was everything a mother should be to my sister and me. When she died… we all became lost and scared. Our family just wasn’t whole anymore. It felt different and broken.Especially my dad. He broke down hard… because Summer had been the second love he had lost.”

“Who- Who was the first?”

“The first… was  _ my _ birth mother.” Yang said quietly, smiling sadly at the shocked expression on Eirwen's face. She sighed and began fiddling with her jeans thoughtfully, considering her words carefully. “She left us before I could even talk. I spent eighteen years searching for her when I found out about her. I wanted answers. I  _ needed _ answers and nobody was going to stop me.”

“What did you find out?” Eirwen asked in a small voice, uncurling herself slightly and watching Yang carefully. “Did you find her?”

“I did. Simply put… she never wanted kids. She never wanted me. She didn’t even want to be a part of my life when I found her, she was so stuck in her ways.” Yang’s voice cracked slightly and she turned away to brush at the tears that had started to gather at the corners of her eyes. “But here’s the thing, Eirwen… _Summer Rose did._ She didn’t give birth to me… but she loved me. Took care of me. Held me. She was my mother, not because I came from her, but because she chose to be. Because she _chose_ _me_. Just like Blake chose _you_.”

“But- But I’m just an obligation to her! The file- it said that- that she wanted to pay back the chance she had been given!”

“Blake knew that she was lucky. Just like she knew that a lot of kids didn’t have that good fortune. She just wanted to give a child that same good luck; a chance to be safe and loved.” Yang said gently, bending over slightly to meet Eirwen’s gaze. “Your mother… she loves you so,  _ so  _ much, kiddo. She would sacrifice anything if it made you happy. You are her priority.  _ Her choice _ .”

“She knew-“

“Blake didn’t know. The orphanage doesn’t tell prospect parents about the kid’s birth parents because of confidentiality rules.” Yang said calmly, patiently, watching as Eirwen frowned. “I don’t know what you saw in that folder to make you question Blake but I think you need to talk with  _ her  _ about this.”

“But- But I can't!” Eirwen squeaked, tears flooding her eyes again. “I can’t- I said awful things to her! She probably hates me!”

“Woah, woah, woah! Hey, c’mere, darling. It’s okay.” Yang murmured as she pulled Eirwen into her arms and held her firmly as the little girl sobbed into her shoulder, clinging to her desperately as her tears soaked Yang’s sweater. “She doesn’t hate you. I promise. She’s so worried about you. She’s organised a big search party for you because she wants you home, safe and sound.”

“She- she still wants me?”

“Oh,  _ sweetheart.”  _ Yang breathed into Eirwen’s hair as she cupped the back of her head gently, her thumb brushing her hair gently. “Of course she does. You’re her baby girl.”

“I want my mum!” Eirwen sobbed harder into Yang’s neck, loud and heartbroken cries pressing into her teacher's shoulder as she Yang gently rocked them back and forth, soothing and humming the young girl until she fell asleep, finally exhausted and spent from her distress. Yang shifted Eirwen’s weight carefully, reaching into her pocket for her scroll and sending a quick message to Blake.

_ To; Blake Belladonna @ 6:00 pm: _

_ I’ve got her. She’s safe. I’m bringing her back home. Meet me at your place. _

Yang sighed softly and hefted Eirwen into her arms, bending down carefully to pick up her bag and carried both it and child to her car.

It was time to get this lost and scared little girl back home to her mother, safe and sound.


	12. Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake finally is reunited with her daughter... but will it go go as well as she hopes?

Four hours

That’s how long Blake Belladonna had been frantically searching the streets of Vale, jaw clenched with determination. 

Four  _ terrifying  _ hours where every worst case scenario came to mind, each one worse than the last.

Four miserable hours until Blake, hungry, tired and dehydrated, heard her scroll ping and checked her messages and nearly fell to the floor with a relieved cry. Yang had found Blake’s daughter and she was bringing her home.

Which was why Blake was pacing back and forth in her living room, teeth digging into her bottom lip with  _ almost  _ enough force to draw blood as her right hand gripped her left bicep in a painfully tight hold. Her baby was safe. Yang had found her and was bringing her home. They could fix this.

When a knock sounded at her front door, Blake ran to it, ripping it open quickly and stifling a gasp at the sight of her daughter curled up against Yang’s chest, the teacher’s arms curled protectively around the young girl as Eirwen’s bag hung from Yang’s shoulder. “Eirwen… my beautiful, baby girl.” Blake breathed out, reaching to brush Eirwen’s bangs from her face, her heart breaking as the child let out a sleeping whimper and nuzzled into her palm. 

“Hey. I think this is yours?” Yang said softly, drawing Blake’s attention and smiling tiredly at her, a pained expression hiding behind her eyes. “Can I put her down somewhere?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, let’s put her in her bed.” Blake said shakily, leading Yang to Eirwen’s room. She blinked in confusion as Yang gently slipped Eirwen’s shoes and socks off, the action so domestic and maternal that she felt compelled to watch the gentle way Yang tucked Eirwen in before kissing her forehead tenderly.

“I’ll meet you in the living room, okay?” Yang whispered, pausing to kiss Blake’s temple, her hand pressing into the small of her back and rubbing a gentle circle against her shirt when Blake leaned into her. “Take your time, Blake.”

Blake swallowed thickly as Yang left, moving to sit by her daughter’s side and watch her sleep peacefully for a moment. She ran a gentle hand through Eirwen’s hair, her amber eyes welling up with tears when Eirwen frowned, her eyes blinking drowsily up at her.

“Mama?” Eirwen mumbled, too tired to really move her head as Blake smiled down at her.

“Yeah, baby. Mama’s here.” Blake soothed gently, trying to mask the pain and fear in her voice as she leaned forward to press her forehead against Eirwen’s affectionately. “Mama’s got you.”

“I’m still allowed to call you that?” Eirwen’s words were slurred, her voice drifting in and out as she tried to combat sleep. 

“Of course you are. Nothing could ever change the fact that I’m your mother. Okay?” Blake whispered, leaning up to press a kiss to her daughter’s head, lingering for a moment as Eirwen yawned. “Go back to sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning, my little one.”

“Okay.”

Blake smiled through her tears and stood, making her way to the door and switching the light off before a small voice called out to her.

“Mama?”

“Yes, baby girl?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetie. So,  _ so  _ much. Now get some rest for me, okay?” Blake managed to say calmly, her fingers digging into the doorframe as Eirwen nodded and nestled into her bed, falling asleep quickly as Blake made her way to the living room, ignoring the broken pieces of the photo frame holding their family portrait and sat beside Yang in the couch, staring blankly at the wall for a moment before turning to Yang. 

“Oh, Blake.” Yang murmured, reaching out a hand to cup Blake’s jaw, her thumb brushing away the tears that fell. “It’s okay. She’s home. She’s safe.”

“I know. I just… I was so  _ scared,  _ Yang. I couldn’t find her and then I got your message and it was like I could finally  _ breathe  _ again.” Blake muttered, leaning desperately into Yang’s touch, seeking out her warmth and comfort. “I owe you-“

“You owe me nothing. Okay? A kid was missing and I wasn’t going to let her parent deal with it on her own. Especially not when that mother and child mean so much to me.” Yang said softly, as she leaned her forehead against Blake’s and smiled sadly as she brushed Blake’s hair behind her ear. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my favourite girls.”

“Dork.” Blake sniffed, shuddering as Yang pulled her into a hug and reclined against the couch, allowing Blake to tuck her head under Yang’s chin and drink in her grounding presence. “Where- where was she?”

“At the gym.” Yang murmured softly as she rested her chin between Blake’s cat ears, her hand rubbing Blake’s back as silent tears fell down Blake’s face. “She… was hurt. Angry. Lashing out. Not that I could blame her. She’s still just a baby, still learning to control her emotions. But she didn’t want me near her.”

“How did you get her to come home?”

As Yang talked about what she had said to Eirwen, Blake’s chest clenched painfully for both Yang and Eirwen. Knowing that the people that brought them both into the world had left them with such scars filled Blake with a protective, righteous fury and, despite her own tears, her arms tightened around Yang’s waist and she burrowed her face into Yang’s neck, nuzzling against her reassuring as a shuddering breath left her. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m just glad she’s safe. Mostly because now I get to worry about mama bear freely.” Yang said with a small, knowing chuckle as she gently pushed Blake away. “You haven’t eaten or had anything to drink yet, have you?”

“I’m fine, Yang.”

“That’s a no, then.” Yang sighed, leaning forward to kiss Blake’s nose softly. “Stay here. I’ll order Chinese. What do you and Eirwen usually get? And no, before you say it, I’m paying. You girls need some comfort food. Once I’m down with that, I’ll make you a nice lavender tea. You said once that it’s good for nerves.” Yang said as she pulled back to give Blake a no nonsense look. “Let me take care of you, baby.”

Blake blinked and relented with a heavy sigh. She didn’t know if she just didn’t have the energy to fight Yang on this or if, deep down, she just  _ needed  _ somebody to take care of her for once. To let herself be weak, to let herself lean on Yang. So, with a small protest, she gave Yang their usual orders and watched her head to the kitchen before delicately picking up the photograph on the table and holding it between her shaking hands, tears starting afresh and falling quickly down her cheeks as she looked at the bright smiles of herself and her daughter.

Maybe Yang was right. Maybe there was a chance to fix this. God knew that she had to try, at the very least.

But for now, as Yang set her tea on a coaster and pulled her into a tight hug, Blake allowed herself to be weak as the sobs she had been holding back finally fell from her throat, her fingers clutching desperately at Yang’s sweater as she cried.

If she was going to let herself be weak and vulnerable, she knew that there was no one else she’d rather it be with.

* * *

The following morning, Blake awoke to a hesitant hand tugging at her shoulder. She blinked and found herself staring at a fidgety Eirwen, tears staining her cheeks as she looked at Blake anxiously. 

“Sweetie…” Blake murmured, her heart cracking as she sat up and held out her arms welcomingly. “C’mere.”

Without another word, Eirwen climbed into Blake’s lap and tucked her head under her chin as she curled up into a tiny ball in Blake’s arms. She buried her face in Blake’s chest, small whimpers leaving her as Blake rocked them side to side, humming lightly into her daughter’s hair.

“You know… I still remember the first time I held you like this.” Blake said softly, protectively pulling Eirwen closer and wrapping her quilt around them both. 

“You do?”

“Yes. It was a few months after I had brought you home. There was a big storm outside. The biggest one that Vale has seen in years. At some point, lightning struck a tree and it crashed into our backyard. You were so scared that you ran in here to me and hid under my blankets.” Blake chuckled softly, a nostalgic smile lighting up her face as she ran a hand through Eirwen’s hair. “I asked you if you wanted a hug and I don’t think I’ve seen any little girl move that fast since.”

“I remember that night. You made me feel safe.” Eirwen said quietly, her hands playing with her tail nervously. 

“You know… when I adopted you, I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. But I think that night was the moment that I knew… that no matter what, that every argument, every moment of frustration, all of the trials and tribulations that come with the job… this was going to be worth it.” Blake kisses Eirwen head, tightening her hold slightly as tears pricked at her eyes. 

“I’m sorry for what I did. I didn’t- I don’t- I don’t hate you.” Eirwen squeaked, burrowing her face into Blake’s neck. “I don’t want them to take me away! Don’t let them take me away!”

“If they want to take you from me, then they’re going to have a fight on their hands.” Blake said, her eyes narrowing, a slight growl entering her voice as she buried her face into Eirwen's hair. “You are my  _ daughter _ . Nothing could change that. No mistake, no word and no agency is ever going to change that. Okay?”

“O-okay, mama.” Eirwen mumbled shakily, her hands playing with her tail like a child might a security blanket. 

“Can you tell me what you read in that folder?”

“It said that- that my parents didn’t mean to have me. That I was- that I was a mistake. So they gave me up.” Eirwen sniffled, her small shoulders trembling against Blake’s arms. “And it said that they discussed my adoption with you.”

“Honey, how could I have discussed it with them?” Blake asked gently, patiently. “I wasn’t even in Vale when you were born. I didn’t meet you until you were eight. The folder probably just meant that the orphanage discussed your adoption with me. But we can ask Matron Goodwitch to confirm that for you.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m kind of dumb, huh?”

“Not dumb. You were just hurt and angry. You made a mistake. But we can fix this.” Blake sighed softly, before giving Eirwen a nudge. “Now… Yang was kind enough to get us Chinese food last night so let’s go heat that up and have that for breakfast before we go meet with Goodwitch, yeah?”

“... can you just propose to her already? I don’t think you’re going to find much more perfect than her, mama.”

“Why, you little brat! Come here!” Blake laughed, squishing her daughter into a tight hug as she giggled. “No. No giggling! Do not derive enjoyment from this! This is a hug of punishment!”

“Does that mean I’m not grounded?”

“That’s cute… but no. Your butt is  _ so  _ grounded.”

Blake smiled as Eirwen sighed heavily. Now all was left to do… was face the music.

* * *

“Your behaviour was reckless, ill thought out and utterly disrespectful of my rules, young Miss Belladonna.”

Blake bit back a wince as Matron Glynda Goodwitch paced back and forth behind her desk, irritably pushing her glasses back up her nose as she turned to glare at Eirwen sitting in a much too large for her armchair. Eirwen let out a small squeak, her tail fluffing up anxiously. 

“And what’s more, you dragged your little friend into it. Your poor mother had to bail you out from the police station and to make matters worse… you ran away.” Glynda growled low in her throat and slapped her hand down on the desk, making both Belladonna girls flinch in their seats. “What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?”

“I’m really sorry. I just wanted to know  _ why.” _ Eirwen stuttered nervously, glancing at Blake anxiously, breathing in deeply when Blake nodded encouragingly at her. “It was wrong and I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry, Matron.” She added, bowing her head respectfully, tail twitching nervously in her hands.

“Very well. But I expect your mother to deal with your punishment accordingly. Isn’t that right, Miss Belladonna?” The older woman said emphatically as she turned her glare onto Blake.

Blake stiffened in her seat, sitting up straighter than she had in years and giving Glynda a forced grin, her ears twitching anxiously. “Yes, ma’am!” She said brightly, her fingers tapping her knees nervously.

_ ‘This woman is terrifying.’ _ Blake thought to herself as Glynda sat in her seat and stared at her unwaveringly.  _ ‘No wonder they put her in charge.’  _ Blake swallowed thickly. She liked to imagine that she was a difficult woman to intimidate. Her personality was far from submissive… but Glynda Goodwitch was the kind of woman that could terrify a man of steel, let alone a mother afraid of losing her daughter.

“Eirwen. Go wait outside while I talk with your mother.”

Blake silently watched her daughter leave, mildly worried. She turned to Glynda with a quirked brow and exhaled slowly, pressing her lips into a firm line. “What did you want to talk about? I’ve proven time and time again that I’m capable of taking care of her. I have references if you-“

“Don’t be ridiculous. Being with you has helped that child far more than the time she spent with me.” Glynda said, waving off the very thought as she leaned in her table and gave Blake a small smile… which was honestly more terrifying than her scowl, if Blake was being realistic. “I know adoption isn’t easy, Miss Belladonna. But I simply wanted to ask if there’s anything I can do to better support you. We aim for success here, after all.”

“I, uh. I don’t really know?” Blake admitted, blinking slowly at the sudden tonal whiplash. “You’re not going to take her away?”

“Why would I do that? She apologised. Do you have any idea how difficult it has always been to get that child to  _ apologise? _ ” Glynda huffed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. “Whatever you’re doing, it seems to be working. Keep it up… just try to curb your daughter’s criminal tendencies, yes?”

“Yes. Yes, of course! Thank you, Matron!”

“Think nothing of it. Now go home and deal with your child. I don’t want to see her breaking in here again, understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Blake said with a grateful grin, shooting the older woman a pair of finger guns and a wink before she realised what she was doing. She flushed, cleared her throat and awkwardly stood up and stiffly left the room as Glynda watched her with an unimpressed expression.

_ ‘Dammit.’  _ Blake thought to herself as she left the room and thumped her head against the wall, ignoring the surprised look on Eirwen’s face.  _ ‘Damn Yang. Damn it all.’ _

“Mum?”

“Your teacher is rubbing off on me. I just gave that poor woman a pair of finger guns.” Blake groaned, as she pulled back to stare forlornly at her daughter. “What is wrong with me?”

“You’re in love?”

“Get your smartass in the car.” Blake growled playfully, ruffling her daughter’s hair and smiling fondly at the giggle she let out. “We’re going home.”

“I get to stay?” Eirwen asked excitedly, jumping up from her seat and looking up at Blake hopefully.

“As if I would ever leave without my baby.” Blake said softly, holding out an arm and laughing tearfully as Eirwen curled into her side as they walked out to Blake’s car, both Belladonna girls eager to get home.

After all… they had a family portrait to reframe.

  
  



	13. Taking A Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake finally catches up with Yang after the recent drama.
> 
> But this time... she has an important topic of conversation for the gym teacher.

“Blake?”

“Yang!”

Blake stood up from the park bench where she had been sat, waiting for Yang to arrive. She shifted her feet, raising her hands awkwardly, a little unsure as to how to greet her… friend. It had been a week since they last spoke, with Blake wanting the time alone for her and Eirwen to talk and heal from their ordeal. She swallowed thickly as Yang gave her a nervous smile before holding out her arms for a hug that Blake eagerly stepped into, turning to bury her nose into Yang’s neck and inhaling deeply as Yang’s arms curled around her gently. A soft sigh left Blake, a heat creeping up her neck when Yang turned to kiss her temple.

“Hey, stranger.” Yang murmured, her hands shifting to rest lightly on Blake’s waist as they pulled apart. 

“Hi.” Blake said with a small smile, a surprised squeak leaving her lips as Yang butted their foreheads together gently. “Thanks for meeting with me.” She said before stepping back and moving back to her seat, turning to face Yang as she sat down and draped her along the back of the bench.

“Of course, Blake. I’m glad you messaged me. I was getting a little worried.” Yang tilted her head, her brow creasing slightly as she looked Blake up and down. “Is everything okay with the kiddo?”

“Yeah. Yeah, we’re good. She misses you like hell, though.” Blake chuckled, biting her lip as she curled a strand of hair around a finger, smiling when Yang quirked an unimpressed eyebrow.

“ _ Eirwen _ , huh?” Yang smirked, playfully leaning in to poke Blake’s nose, laughing softly as she momentarily went cross eyed. “You sure it was  _ just _ Eirwen missing me?”

“I regret everything, you arrogant dork.”

Yang laughed, her blond curls bouncing in the sunlight and her eyes gleaming with good humour. Blake swallowed thickly and reached out to cup Yang’s jaw, her thumb brushing across the freckles on her cheek. Yang fell silent, her hand reaching up to hold Blake’s wrist tenderly as she turned to press a gentle kiss into Blake’s palm. “I missed you.” Yang breathed, making Blake’s skin tingle as her breath ghosted across it.

“I missed you too.” Blake sighed, allowing Yang to bridge the gap between their bodies. She hummed happily as Yang pressed their heads together, their fingers entwining as they closed their eyes. “I just… needed time to sort out what I wanted… and to ask Eirwen something.”

“What did you want to ask her?”

“If she would be okay with me dating somebody.”

“Oh? Who’s the lucky guy?” Yang said, her voice coy as she ran her thumbs across the back of Blake’s hands. 

“As if you don’t know.”

“Maybe you should be a little clearer.”

Blake growled playfully and ducked forward, pressing her lips to Yang’s mouth firmly, rolling her eyes as Yang grinned against her. “Brat.” She murmured as she pulled away, flushing at the dazed look in Yang’s eyes. “But before  _ this-“  _ she gestured between them with a finger, her nerves rushing back and hitting her chest. “- continues, I need you to know that… that Eirwen’s well-being and happiness is my priority. I made a promise when I adopted her and I intend on keeping that. If that’s going to be a problem-“

“It won’t.” Yang said softly, squeezing Blake’s hands gently, smiling warmly at her. “Your dedication to raising that little girl is admirable, Blake. I would never dream of demanding that you change that. You’re both important to me and I want to be a part of your lives, in whatever way you’re willing to have me. I want to be there for you girls.”

“I’m a package deal, Yang. With a child and scars and baggage. Is that something you think you can handle?”

“Baby… you’re more than worth it.” Yang whispered, nudging Blake’s nose with hers cutely, smiling at her warmly. “If you give us a chance… I promise you that you won’t regret it.”

“Okay.” Blake said after taking a shaky breath, giggling at the stunned look on Yang’s face.

“Okay?”

“Yes. I’ll give us a chance.” 

Blake squealed as Yang pulled her up from the bench and into her strong arms, hefting her up by her waist and spinning around with a delighted laugh. Blake landed back on her feet with a small giggle, snorting indignantly as Yang pressed a kiss to her mouth, though it could hardly be considered a proper once since they were both smiling so widely.

“Whoo! Get it, teach!”

“God so help me, Russet, you will be running a hundred laps on Monday!” Yang said calmly, barely turning back to call over her shoulder to the young boy who immediately wilted. “Now… where were we?”

“I think you were about to ask me out on a date?” Blake teased, tugging at Yang’s shirt with a coy smile, glancing up at her through her lashes.

“Tomorrow night? I can pick you up at six.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

Blake giggled lightly as Yang’s gaze softened and she leaned forward to gently kiss her, a soft sigh ghosting across Blake’s mouth as they pulled away. 

Maybe her mother, her daughter and her best friend would never let her live this down… but she could live that. Especially if Yang kept looking at her like she was the world.

* * *

“So… did mum always panic before a hot date or is it just because it’s Yang?”

“Yes.”

Blake growled at the twe girls sitting on her bed, narrowing her eyes at Ilia and Eirwen as they grinned back at her. “One of these days, I’m going to poison you both.”

“Honey, your cooking already does that on a regular basis. I’m surprised Eirwen is still alive.”

“Hey!”

“Ilia.” Blake said slowly as she wrapped a yellow tie around her lilac shirt collar and began to tie it, her fingers working deftly as she maintained eye contact with her best friend. “You’re already on thin ice. Do you  _ really  _ want to be taking chances right now?” 

“I’m just saying.” Ilia shrugged, watching as Blake slipped into her dark purple vest and tucked her tie into it before pulling on her black dinner coat. “You’re going to give that poor woman a heart attack. You know that, right?”

“At least I have a woman to give a heart attack to. How are things going with that photographer that you’re interning for?” Blake smirked as she adjusted her tie, tilting her head ever so slightly at her best friend as her scales turned a vibrant pink. “Spilt any coffee on her lately?”

“Shut up.” Ilia glowered, reaching out to swipe the back of Eirwen’s head when she snickered. “You too, brat. You ran full force into your mother’s car. You’re in no position to talk.”

“You’re both disasters.” Blake chuckled, balancing carefully as she slipped on her black heels. She quirked a brow at the two disbelieving stares that were being directed at her and placed a hand in her hip and glared back. “What?”

“You burned a roast because you were too busy staring at Yang’s eyes, mother.”

“When Aslan asked you out to lunch, you fell out of your seat and got a concussion.”

“Listen here-“ Blake’s ears perked up as somebody knocked at their front door and she turned to glare at Ilia and Eirwen. “Saved by the bell. Money for pizza is on the counter, emergency contacts are on the fridge. Don’t stay up and behave yourself for your auntie.” Blake said as she quickly trotted over to Eirwen and gripped her face to pepper the top of her head in kisses. “Love you, my little one.”

“Yeah, yeah. Love you too.” Eirwen grumbled, batting at Blake’s hands as Blake gave Ilia a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

“Of course not! I actually asked my crush out!”

Blake laughed at the outraged yell and quickly made her way to the door, opening it and letting out a soft gasp at the sight of her date for the night.

Yang’s hair was in a messy bun, with short strands framing her face perfectly. She wore a light covering of makeup, accentuating her features and she wore an amethyst pendant around her neck. A yellow dress went down to her knees, hugging her curves  _ just right _ . A simple pair of flats completed the look, as she stared at Blake, seemingly as speechless as Balke herself was.

“You look… gorgeous.” Yang said softly, rubbing the back of her neck with a nervous hand as she grinned at Blake. “You look good in a suit.”

“You look exquisite, Yang.” Blake murmured, stepping forward and shutting the door. She leaned forward to kiss Yang’s cheek, smiling shyly against her skin as she pulled back. “You ready to go?”

Yang nodded, a delighted smile lighting up her face as she led Blake to her car, eager to show Blake a good time.

* * *

“He was cornering my friends so… I climbed up a tree and used the height advantage to launch a flying kick into his face.”

“No way!” Yang grinned, cupping her face in her hands as she leaned on the table across from Blake, eagerly listening to her story. “How big was he?”

“Like… three times my size.” Blake chuckled, raising her wine to her lips and smirking over her glass. “Sometimes, you need to fight dirty.”

“Yeah. I know. You’ve fought dirty with me, remember?” Yang snorted, leaning back in her seat and playfully glaring at Blake. “You’re a harsh one, baby. I’m going to need to keep up.”

“Um-“ Blake cleared her throat and ducked her head at the endearment, heat creeping up her neck at how  _ natural  _ it felt for Yang to call her that. “I could get used to that.” She admitted quietly, changing the mood from a playful challenge to quiet calm.

“Get used to what?”

“You- Uh- you calling me that.”

“Oh.” Yang blinked for a moment, surprised before she smiled softly and reached across the table to take Blake’s hand, gently bringing it up to her mouth and pressing a tender kiss to the back of it. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not going anywhere.”

Blake’s heart melted and she reached out to hold Yang’s hands in her own, smiling softly at her as the noises of the restaurant continued on around them. The remainder of their meal was continued in a similar refrain, with the two women laughing and teasing and falling with every word that left their lips. By the time Yang had walked Blake back to her door, Blake didn’t want the night to end.

“Thank you for tonight, Yang. I had fun.” She uttered softly as Yang’s hands found their way to her hips, her own hands curling around the back of Yang’s neck, her thumbs tenderly stroking her skin. 

“Me too.” Yang murmured, nudging her nose against Blake’s happily, a small smile gracing her lips. “So, Miss Novelist. If this were a story, what would happen next?”

“Well… naturally, you would kiss me.”

“Hm. Is that right?”

“Mhm. And then… I would watch you walk back to your car, wondering how the hell I got so lucky.” Blake’s voice dropped into a neat whisper as she moved a hand to cradle Yang’s jaw, smiling at the way Yang leaned into her touch. “And then, I would begin counting down the hours until I got to hear your beautiful voice again.”

“You are  _ such  _ a helpless romantic.” Yang sighed fondly, her hands pulling Blake flush against her. “But… I think I can do all of that.”

“Oh yeah? Prove it.”

Yang chuckled softly and leaned forward to claim Blake’s lips with her own, tilting her head to get the best angle for both of them as Blake’s arms curled around her neck and pulled her closer, needing to be as close to Yang as she possibly could.

And as Yang walked back to her car moments later, Blake indeed found herself leaning dreamily against her door and wondering how she got so lucky.

  
  



	14. Romeo And Juliet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family drama may have been sorted out but now, Blake has to help her daughter deal with a brand new problem;
> 
> Earning the blessings of Beau’s parents.

“Hey, honey. How was-“ Blake blinked dumbly as Eirwen stormed past her and into her room, slamming her door shut as her mother was left staring at Yang with a blank look. “School.” She finished with a sigh, rubbing her nose with a small groan as Yang winced. “Third time this week.”

“I think she and Beau are having problems.” Yang said, a worried frown creasing her brow as she reached out to hold Blake’s hand, her thumb brushing her knuckles gently. “They haven’t been speaking… or rather, Eirwen’s been  _ trying  _ to speak to her but Beau’s been ignoring her.”

“Shit.” Blake breathed, closing her eyes as she leaned her head on Yang’s shoulder. “No wonder she’s been upset these past couple of days. I’ll talk to her.”

“Okay. You’ve got this, baby.” Yang encouraged, smiling warning down at Blake as she leaned down to kiss her, her hand coming up to frame Blake’s jaw sweetly. 

“Thank you for dropping her off. My publisher’s riding my back as of late.” Blake sighed gratefully, leaning up in her tiptoes to kiss Yang’s forehead. “I’ll call you later, sweetheart.”

Yang nodded, ducking forward to steal another kiss and walking back to her car, leaving behind a very worried Blake.

* * *

“Honey? Can I come in?”

“... yeah.”

Blake frowned at the sight of her daughter curled up in bed and eating cookies straight out of the large cookie jar that was  _ usually  _ kept on top of the fridge. She sat beside her, waiting patiently until Eirwen rolled over and plopped her head in her lap, a small sniffle leaving her as Blake began to play with her hair soothingly. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Beau’s parents don’t want her being friends with me anymore.” Eirwen said, her voice cracking as she buried her face in Blake’s knee. “Be-Because I’m a bad influence.”

“Oh, honey…”

“She won’t even look at me.” The vulnerability in Eirwen’s voice tore through Blake and she gently scooped her up into her arms, holding her close as silent tears fell down her face. “I  _ really  _ liked her, mum. I miss her.”

“I know, darling. It hurts, doesn’t it?” Blake murmured softly, resting her chin on Eirwen head. “It’s okay to be sad.”

“I really messed up.” Eirwen squeaked, a small whimper leaving her as tears began to hit Blake’s shirt. 

“Shhh. It’s okay. You can have a good cry if you need to. Okay? Cry as much as you need to.” Blake murmured as Eirwen’s breathing hitched. “Mama’s got you.”

“Can… can you stay with me for a bit? I know you have writing to do-“

“Writing can wait.”

“But your publisher-“

“Can bite my ass for all I care. My baby girl needs me.” Blake gently pushed Eirwen away and smiled softly at her. “You know what I do when my heart is hurting?”

“No. What?” Eirwen sniffed miserably.

“I put on my favourite movie and I eat a boatload of ice cream. What do you think?”

“Before dinner?”

“Yup. Just… please don’t tell your grandmother.” Blake gave her daughter a terrified look, pinning her ears back fearfully. “She’ll kill us both.”

Eirwen let out a small, watery giggle and Blake smiled sadly, leaning forward to butt her head against Eirwen’s affectionately before jumping to her feet and wandering to the kitchen, intent on comforting her daughter through her first heartache.

* * *

“What the ever loving fuck?” Black muttered as she closed her laptop, her left ear twitching towards Eirwen’s room where she could hear voices. “That’s not right.”

Carefully, she began to walk toward the noise on the balls of her feet, her ears pricked towards her daughter’s door.

_ “You’re already in trouble! You can’t be here!” _

_ “Like I care what my parents think. They don’t know you. I know you’re not as bad as they say you are.” _

_ “Beau-“ _

_ “I’m not going to let them stop me from seeing you.” _

Blake froze at the sound of a muffled squeak and felt her jaw drop. She oddly felt like she had stepped forth into a teenage melodrama. She already knew who her daughter was talking to but just to confirm, she swung the door open and stood in the doorway with crossed arms and an unimpressed brow quirked as Eirwen and a young human girl with black hair and brown eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses jumped apart, cheeks a bright red as Blake mentally sighed. 

_ ‘Teenagers.’ _

“Beau? You do realise that your mother’s soap operas are highly romanticised, right? Crawling up to your Rapunzal’s bedroom never goes the way you hoped.” Blake said calmly as she walked in and sat in the chair at Eirwen’s desk, biting back a smirk as Eirwen groaned in embarrassment. “Now… one of you start talking. What’s going on?”

“It’s not fair.” Beau squeaked, her eyes wide and terrified. “My parents won’t let me see Eirwen! They don’t even know her!”

“And you though that you could… what, have a secret romance?” Blake said softly, leaning forward on her knees as the two girls flushed darker.

“I was just hugging her.” Eirwen muttered, meeting Blake’s questioning gaze evenly. “I promise, mum.”

“Oh please. I definitely hugged you first.”

“Why does it matter?”

“Hey. Lovebirds. Eyes over here.” Blake said, snapping her fingers and drawing their attention again. “I understand where you’re coming from but this is the wrong way to go about it. How can you expect your parents to trust you or Eirwen when you pull a stunt like this?”

“But she’s my best friend. My only friend.” Beau sniffed, tears pooling in her eyes as she clung to her jumper anxiously. “I don’t want to say goodbye.”

“Okay. You girls really want to continue being friends?” Blake asked, heart melting as Eirwen took Beau’s hand and squeezed it. “Then you have to do this the right way. I’ll talk to Beau’s parents while you kids are at school tomorrow and I’ll  _ try  _ to talk some sense into them.”

“Mum! You’re the best!” Eirwen squeaked as she ran over to wrap her arms around Blake’s neck tightly.

“On one condition.” Blake said sharply, giving the two girls a firm glare. “No more sneaking around. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, mum.”

“Yes, Eirwen’s mum.”

“Good.” Blake sighed, glancing out the window. “We’ll walk you back to your street but after that… no more of this whole Romeo and Juliet nonsense.”

Blake grunted as two relieved and grateful teenager girls collided into her, arms tight around her neck as they sputtered their gratitude.

_ ‘Don’t thank me yet.’  _ Blake thought to herself, still not quite believing what had happened.  _ ‘This could go any number of ways.’ _

* * *

“And why should we allow our daughter to be friends with your little delinquent?!”

“Harold, please.” Janet Stone sighed, before giving Blake a tight smile that didn’t quite reach her blue eyes. She fiddled with her black hair and smoothed out her dress before sighing. “Miss Belladonna… do try to understand. Beau is  _ such  _ a good girl. Top grades in all of her classes. She was class president at her old school. Very popular. But we move here and suddenly, the only friend she has is involving her in illegal activities.”

“Activities that I assure you are completely out of the norm for Eirwen.” Blake said firmly, pushing down the anger that rose in her chest. “Eirwen understands that what she did was wrong and has apologised for it.”

“Maybe if the girl had a proper home, she wouldn’t be acting out.”

“... excuse me?” Blake said with deadly softness as she turned to glare at the man sitting across from her, his brown eyes glaring at her from behind his glasses. “What do you  _ mean  _ a proper home?”

“Harold!”

“I just believe that a child should have two parents. That’s all.” Harold said as he stared Blake down. “It  _ must  _ be so difficult for you, Miss Belladonna.”

“And I just believe that a man that couldn’t walk five feet in my shoes without collapsing should refrain from casting judgement on a situation he knows nothing about.” Blake said with a sickly sweet smile, her gaze sharp as Harold shifted uncomfortably under her stare. “But I’m not here to discuss that. Any problem that you have with me pales in comparison to what really matters.”

“And that would be?”

“Our children’s happiness.” Blake said, nodding as both Stones fell silent, glancing at each other for a long moment as their brows creased. “Whether we like it or not, our girls care deeply for each other. They have been placed on the bottom rung of the social ladder by their peers. All they have is each other. Don’t take that away from them.”

“I don’t know, Miss Belladonna.” Janet said hesitantly, playing with her hair anxiously as her husband snorted. “We need to know that Eirwen won’t be a bad influence on our Beau.”

“Okay. That’s fair. You just want to protect your daughter and I can respect that.” Blake said, pausing to take a breath to quell the growing ball of anxiety in her chest. “But those girls adore each other. Eirwen is so much brighter and happier at school. Her grades have improved because she actually wants to be there. And I’ve seen how Beau looks at Eirwen. You cant deny that there’s a bond there.”

“Then what do you suggest, Miss Belladonna?” Harold growled, eyes narrowing as he leaned forward. 

“How about a picnic where our two families can get to know each other?” Blake suggested, tilting her head slightly, the idea becoming more appealing now that she had voiced it. “You two can take the time to talk to Eirwen and really watch how the girls interact with each other. Then you can make your judgements on whether or not you want Eirwen to be friends with your daughter.”

There was a long moment before both Stones agreed and Blake felt a weight lift from her chest as they made a plan to meet at the park that following Saturday. But as Blake sunk into her car, she allowed her forehead to fall against her steering wheel with a miserable groan. She didn’t know if she could do this alone…

But fortunately, she didn’t have to.


	15. The Family Picnic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big day arrives and Eirwen’s going to have to work to earn the approval of Beau’s father...
> 
> But perhaps, it might be easier than expected.

“I nearly put that man through his kitchen table.”

“Shhh. He’s just an asshole. You didn’t take the bait. You did so good and kept your cool.”

Blake sighed as Yang’s hands pressed into her shoulders, kneading away at the tense muscle as they sat on the floor of Yang’s home. Ilia was taking care of Eirwen so Blake could have a moment to herself and Yang had been eager to spend some time with her, inviting her over and letting Blake vent to her. “I know. But do you have any idea how often I’ve had people make snide comments about my being a single mother? It gets old real fast.” Blake groaned as Yang fingers pressed into a particularly tight knot in her right shoulder. “ _ Shit.  _ A little to the left, please.”

“Sure thing, baby.” Yang cooed, ducking forward to kiss Blake’s neck before moving to the requested place, pulling a soft whine from Blake as she ran her hands across Blake’s upper back. “So... a big family picnic. Have fun with that.”

“I will if you come with me.”

“You… want me to go with you?” Yang paused, her hands freezing against Blake’s back before falling away, leaving Blake to turn her head to glance at her surprised expression. “What? You want me to stop from punching that asshole or…”

“Well, yes. There is that…” Blake turned around from where she sat in between Yang’s legs and faced her, sitting on her feet as she draped her arms over Yang’s shoulders and leaning forward to nuzzle her nose sweetly, her voice low and affectionate as she spoke. “And there’s also the fact that you’re my girlfriend. The way I see it… a family picnic wouldn’t be complete without you, baby.”

Yang’s eyes widened for a moment before her gaze softened, her hands moving to Blake’s waist as she leaned up to kiss her. Blake chuckled softly as Yang pulled her close, smiling into the kiss as Yang’s hands explored her sides, tracing patterns into her skin. 

“So…” Blake murmured into Yang’s mouth before slowly making her way towards her ear, peppering small kisses along her jaw on the way to her destination. “Please come? I need you.”

“God, you’re gonna kill me.” Yang whined as she dropped her head into the crook of Blake neck, her hands moving to hold Blake’s hips, though she still respected Blake’s previously voiced desire to take their relationship slow. “How can I say no when you’re like  _ this?” _

“It’s not my fault you have the hots for me.”

“It kind of is.”

“Technically, it’s my parents’ fault.”

“Then I’m going to have to have words with them for creating a literal goddess.”

“Oh my God.” Blake snorted as she sat back and looked up at the ceiling, puffing out her cheeks as heat crept up her neck. “Just answer the question without being an insatiable flirt.” She scolded, still refusing to look at her girlfriend as her skin darkened. 

“Of course I’ll go.” Yang laughed softly, cupping the back of Blake’s head and bringing down to butt their heads together gently, her gaze warm and affectionate. 

“Thank you.” Blake murmured, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation of Yang running her hand through her hair, her fingers taking care as they passed Blake’s cat ears. “You’re amazing.”

“I am, aren’t I?” Yang teased, reaching out for Blake and tugging her close to her with a playful smirk.

“Shut up.”

“Make me, baby.”

Blake allowed a slow smirk of her own to grow as she leaned forward, her hands slipping under Yang’s shirt to press against her abdomen, only too happy to oblige.

* * *

“Belladonna.”

“Stone.”

Blake stepped forward and clasped Howard’s hand firmly, quirking a brow as he tried to rotate his hand over hers. She smiled sweetly and stepped forward into him and clasped his arm in her free hand, forcing him to take a step back as she rotated their hands so that hers was placed over his.

“It’s so good to see you.” She said as she pulled back and turned to Janet with a genuine smile. Janet seemed like the much more levelheaded if the two and Blake could hardly blame her for looking out for her daughter. “Hi, Beau.” She added, smiling down at a fidgety teenager, who was hoping from one foot to the other. “Beau’s at the picnic table. Why don’t-“

Before Blake could finish her sentence, Beau took off running, leaving behind three amused and one exasperated adults. A small hum left Blake as Yang stepped up to her side, her hand pressing into the small of her back and grounding her as Howard glared at her. “Howard, Janet? This is Yang Xiao Long. You’ve probably met her at the school, yes?”

“Indeed. It’s… endearing that you have a close friend to support you.”

Blake blinked and looked over at where her own hand had come to rest low on Yang’s hip and quirked a disbelieving brow at her girlfriend. 

“Actually-“

“Oh, heavens to Betsy.” Janet muttered, reaching up to cuff Harold’s shoulder, causing the man to turn to her with a most offended expression. “They’re  _ lesbians, Harold.” _ She hissed through a forced grin, though it appeared closer to a grimace than anything. “Now lets go say hello to young Eirwen… and  _ behave yourself!” _

Blake and Yang stood, staring at each other as the Stones walked past them to the picnic table, not quite believing what just happened. In the distance, Blake could hear Eirwen playing the role of the perfect little gentleman, politely asking to take their jackets and offering them a seat and drinks.

“I kind of see why you want to punch him.” Yang mused, scrunching up her nose in distaste. “I thought he was awful enough in parent/teacher meetings but this is ridiculous.”

“I know. But please try to behave. I need you to stop me from being too brash.” Blake sighed as she leaned up to kiss Yang gently on the lips, pulling away to straighten out her shirt. “Now, come on,  _ gal pal.  _ We have a picnic to host.”

* * *

“Oh my gosh. They’re so cute.”

Blake looked up from her sandwich and followed Janet’s gaze to where Eirwen and Beau sat underneath a tree, eating and giggling as they leaned against one another, bright and happy smiles on their faces. 

“Cute doesn’t change the fact that the Belladonna girl could still be a bad influence.”

Yangs hand found its way to Blake’s knee under the table, squeezing firmly as Blake stiffened at Howard’s words. She inhaled deeply, placing her hand of Yang’s and turning to Howard with a forced grin. “She is no more capable of that than any other child. I think that it is perhaps better to focus on what is going to make our children happy rather than worrying about our social rankings… don’t you, Mr. Stone?”

“Hey, mum? May Beau and I please go and play?”

Blake glanced over Eirwen came over to her, hands clasped behind her back politely as she looked at the adults gathered at the table with a small, nervous smile as her tail twitched anxiously. “I don’t have a problem with it. Janet? Howard?”

“I’m okay with that too.” Janet said warmly, running a hand across her daughter’s head fondly as she grinned. “Just don’t go too far. You’re both still grounded.”

“Thank you!”

Blake bit back a growl as Howard sneered at her daughter, gripping Yang’s hand tightly. If she didn’t have to behave herself, the man probably would have had a broken nose by that point. 

“So… Yang. Blake mentioned that you’ve been training young Eirwen? How is that coming along?”

“Great! She’s an awesome kid and being able to learn discipline and control is doing wonders for her in class.” Yang said cheerfully, draping her arm across Blake’s shoulder. “She’s a smart girl and she understands that she’s only allowed to use her skills in self-defence-“

“Get away from her!”

The four adults turned to see Eirwen shoving herself in between two young teenagers and Beau, her body moving into a defensive posture that Blake recognised as one of Yang’s.

“Talk about good timing.” Yang muttered before turning to the rest of them. “Watch. I know you don’t want to see this but just trust me. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

Anxiously, the parents watched as Eirwen kept herself in between her friend and the bullies, one hand up ready to block while the other rested in a ready strike position. Finally, something snapped and, before anyone could react, one of the bullied struck, punching Eirwen in the nose. Quickly, she responded, gripping their arm and sweeping their legs out from under them and restraining them. Blake’s jaw fell open as the other bully froze before running off, before a proud smile slipped onto her face as Eirwen stood and released the remaining one, sending them off before she ran to Beau and began to frantically check her for injuries.

“That’s my girl.” Yang murmured and when Blake turned to her, she felt her heart melt at the adoration and pride shining in Yang’s eyes. “Know where to draw the line.”

“I… don’t believe it.” Howard uttered, sounding shocked as Eirwen scooped Beau up into her arms and began to carry her, the shorter girl’s head nestled against her shoulder. 

“They’re  _ also _ lesbians, Harold.” Janet said dryly, giving her husband an unimpressed look. “Honestly, dear. You’re incredibly dense.”

Blake snorted, smirking lightly as Howard turned to look at her, his eyes narrowed. “Look, it’s either we give them the tools to succeed or we deal with a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Which do you prefer?”

“Beau.” Howard finally said, when his daughter was placed by her mother’s side, a nervous expression lighting up her face as she clung to Eirwen’s hand. “This girl is important to you?” He asked gruffly, crossing his arms and staring at his child.

“Yes, sir.” Beau said, voice trembling as she looked up at her father, eyes wide and pleading. “She’s my best friend. Please don’t take her away from me.”

“... Eirwen. Don’t let me catch you dragging my daughter into trouble again.”

“Wait…” Eirwen said quietly, a hopeful glint entering her eyes as she exchanged a look with Beau. “Does that mean…”

“You may continue being friends. But you may not spend time together outside of school until both of your punishments are competed. Understood?”

Blake’s ears pinned back as both young girls let out matching delighted squeals, curling their arms around each other excitedly. She turned to Yang with a watery smile and leaned into her side, sighing softly as Yang kissed her temple softly.

Everything was going to be okay after all.

  
  



	16. A Mother’s Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so, we watch as Blake and Eirwen’s family officially grows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter, y’all! It’s been a fun one and I’m going to miss this adorable family.
> 
> But now... I can focus on my road trip au plus a couple of other little side projects 😊

“Yang’s here?!”

Blake laughed as a fourteen year old Eirwen ran into the house, her still too long bangs now decorated with a purple streak from her last sleepover with Beau, at full speed, skidding on the tile before running into the living and charging Yang for a huge hug. 

“Ugh! Eirwen, honey, you are getting  _ way  _ too big for me to be doing this.” Yang groaned as she stood up and caught Eirwen in her arms with a laugh, spinning around before holding her out at arms length, the young girl’s feet dangling as her tail waved happily. “At the rate you’re going, you’re going to be taller and buffer than  _ me. _ ”

“Good. Then I can challenge to a dual for the gym. Assert my dominance and all that.” Eirwen grinned cheekily, crossing her arms and winking cockily in a way that felt so much Yang that it took Blake by surprise. “Besides, now that I’m taller than Beau, it’s easier to convince her to let me be the big spoon.”

“The only spoons you kids should be worrying about are the ones that you’re eating your dessert with.” Blake grumbled from her spot, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at her daughter before grinning. “Though, I suppose… at least I don’t have to worry about becoming a grandmother at the age of thirty-one.”

“MUM!”

“Hey, it’s a valid concern!” Blake defended with a shrug of her shoulders, snorting at the sight of Eirwen’s blush. “Beau’s a lovely girl and she makes you happy… but I want you to worry about finishing school before putting a ring on it, okay?”

“We’re fourteen. We’re not getting married.”

“You act like you’re already married and you’ve been dating for six months.” Blake pointed with a small laugh, smirking as her daughter blushed darker. “Have you said the “L word” yet?”

“None of your business!” Eirwen squeaked, tugging the collar of her shirt over her nose as her tail began to twitch irritably. “And maybe I have! It’s not like I’m too scared of ruining our relation because I’m head over heels and telling her that when she might not feel the same will just make things weird and then she might not want to date me and-“

“Woah, woah, wish!” Yang interrupted her gently, sitting down next to Blake to better meet Eirwen’s eyes as the two adults shared a worried look. “Eirwen, sweetie, where’s this coming from?”

“... I learned from the best?” Eirwen offers with a weak smile, looking in Blake’s direction. 

“Don’t divert, darling.” Blake scolded gently, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind Eirwen’s ear, smiling fondly as Eirwen nuzzled her cheek against Blake’s palm. “You know… there’s no shame in loving somebody. It’s scary, yes. And telling them is even more so. But telling her won’t ruin what you have. Even if she’s not quite there yet, the worst that could happen is that things will be a little awkward for a while. If she truly values what you have together, you’ll work through it together because that’s what couples do.” Blake paused for a moment, turning to watch Yang adoringly, her smile softening as Yang gazed back at her. “You work, even when things seem hard. You work together because, despite the scars and luggage, you see someone worth trying for.”

“Ugh. Old people being all lovey dovey. Barf.” Eirwen pretended to gag, though her expression was gentle and fond when Blake and Yang turned to glare at her. “But you’re right. I just… gotta work up the courage to tell her.”

“She can’t react any worse than how I did when you’re mother told me she loves me for the first time.” Yang said with a distant, far away look in her eyes, her expression shifting into a pained grimace.

“Didn’t you tell her “Thanks, my dude?”

“I told her “Thanks, my dude.” Yang sighs softly before turning to Eirwen with a small smile. “And look… when it comes to courage, you’ve got that in spades. Look who raised you! Blake’s the bravest woman I know so it makes sense that her kid would follow in her footsteps.” Yang said with a proud grin as she looked at them, her eyes filled with affection for her girls. “But I have something for you, kiddo. Here.”

Eirwen took the giftwrapped box and moves to sit on the table in front of them, opening the box as Yang reclined next to Blake and curl d an arm over her shoulder as they watched with soft smiles. A gasp escaped Eirwen as she pulled out a brown leather jacket, a smaller version of Yang’s that she had expressed admiration for in the past. She looked up at them and let out a delighted squeal before standing up and yanking it on, looking down at herself with a grin.

“Lookin’ fly, kid.”

“Beau’s not going to know what to do when she spots you.”

Eirwen ignored the playful jab and launches herself at Yang to give her a tight hug, burrowing her face into her shoulder as Yang returns the hug with a fond chuckle. “Thank you, mum!”

There was a loud gasp as Yang pushed Eirwen away gently and firmly held out at arm’s length, her eyes wide and shocked as she stared at her. “What did you just call me?”

“Um… mum?” Eirwen said I’m bewilderment, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Is- is that not okay?”

“Yang? Honey? What’s wrong?” Blake asked softly as tears filled Yang’s eyes, the sight breaking her heart as a small sob broke free of Yang’s chest and she pulled Eirwen into a crushing hug, cupping the back of her head in a maternal gesture and burying her face into Eirwen hair.

“Of course it’s okay!” Yang wailed, her body trembling lightly as Eirwen and Blake both have each other a shocked glance before softening and curling their arms around Yang and comforted her, holding onto her tightly.

Blake smiled tearfully into Yang’s temple, stroking her hair tenderly. Yang fit in so well to their family and in Blake’s mind, it was about time to make it official;

She just needed to get the ring.

* * *

“Honey, maybe you should take a couple days off of work.”

“What? No! I’m fine!”

“Babe, you cried three seperate times today because Eirwen accidentally called you “mum” in class.”

“Because that’s my baby!” Yang defended, her cheeks flushing as she looked away from Blake, her golden hair spilling across their pillows as Blake leaned on her elbow and watched her with a fond smile. “I just- it means a so much to me, Blake. I never thought that I’d ever be so lucky to have a family like this and… and I just can’t believe that you two amazing girls have welcomed me into yours. Thank you.” Yang whispers adoringly, leaning up to kiss Blake gently.

“Don’t thank me yet.” Blake murmured as she pulled away and rolled over to her jeans that were discarded by Yang earlier that night. “I know I haven’t always been easy to deal with in regards to my past and my fears. But you’ve been so patient with me. With Eirwen too. You’re a part of this family, regardless of how you answer. But I need to know…” she paused, her chest suddenly tight as her heart began to race. “Will you marry me?”

Yang stared blankly at the ring, a simple gold band, for a long moment before looking up at Blake tearfully through a massive smile as she reached up and curled her fingers into the collar of the oversized shirt Blake wore and yanked her into a firm kiss. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you, you dork!” Yang laughed against her mouth, tears spilling down both of their cheeks. “So  _ that’s  _ why you sent Eirwen to Beau’s, huh?”

“Maybe just a little.” Blake let out a watery giggle as she slid the ring onto Yang’s finger, pausing to kiss her knuckles sweetly before she was pulled into another kiss, smiling at the feeling of the ring pressed against her cheek. “I love you. So much.”

“I love you too, baby.”

Blake squealed as Yang flipped her onto her back and gave her a grin that she  _ knew  _ spelled trouble. 

Not that Blake minded whatsoever, that is.

* * *

“I’ve made my vows to Blake but there’s another special girl here that I need to make a promise to.”

Blake smiled, tears pooling in her eyes as Yang, looking more gorgeous than ever in her white gown, gave her a small wink. When Yang had expressed her hope in Blake letting her do this, Blake had thought she might melt. It was unexpected but just so thoroughly Yang that Blake fell just a little bit harder for her, if that was possible.

“C’mere, kiddo.”

Blake turned to a shocked Eirwen, who had stepped in as Blake’s best woman dressed in a white and gold suit similar to Blake’s own, and gave her a reassuring nod before gently pushing her towards Yang as Yang knelt to be closer to Eirwen’s level.

“Hey, small fry.” Yang said warmly, her gaze full of maternal adoration for a child that she had take under her wing. 

“Is this the part where I tell you that if you hurt my mama, I’ll hunt you down and make you regret it?”

The whole reception laughed as Yang blinked in shock at the deadly serious tone that Eirwen spoke with, her arms crossing as she glared at Yang before quirking a brow and smirking at her. Yang laughed, shaking her head before playfully punching Eirwen in the shoulder gently. “Brat. But no. No, I wanted to make you a promise. When I met you, you were really struggling with where you came from. I watched you hit rock bottom and rise back up, stronger than ever. I watched you meet a girl and fall in laugh. I watched you grow into the amazing young person that we see before us right now and I am so proud of you, honey. So,  _ so  _ proud of you.” Yang said with a shaky voice, before looking up to Blake and smiling at her. Blake smiled back, her ears flicking back shyly for a moment at the unfiltered adoration in her gaze. “Your mother chose you and the love she has for you inspires me every single day and I feel so lucky that you’ve invited me to be a part of you family. So here’s my promise to you.”

A hush fell over the crowed as Yang presses her forehead to Eirwen’s own, a common gesture of respect and affection in Faunus culture and one that Yang had asked Blake and her family permission to use. 

“I promise that I’ll never hurt your mother. I promise that I’ll never hurt  _ you. _ I promise that you’ll never have to question your place in this family because no matter how old you get, no matter what mistakes you make, you’ll always be our baby. I promise that, no matter what happens, I  _ won’t  _ abandon you. We’re a family, bound not by blood but by care and compassionate for each other and nothing will ever change that. You already call me Mum… but I want to legally be able to call you my daughter.” Yang said softly as Ruby, with a tearful and proud smile, handed Yang a large envelope. “In here are a set of adoption paper. This is entirely  _ your _ choice, kiddo. So… that said… will you let me officially adopt you?”

Her only answer was a loud sob and a very emotional fifteen year old girl tackling her into a hug. Blake clasped a a hand to her mouth, laughing through her tears as she watched her  _ wife  _ hug  _ their  _ daughter tightly for a moment before Yang stood up, bringing Eirwen with her and held out an arm to Blake, who eager stepped forward to wrap her girls up in a tight hug. Yang dropped Eirwen gently to the ground and the celebrations continued. Both women watched proudly as their daughter spun Beau around the dance floor, content to watch the display of Young love as they leaned into each other’s arms.

Later, the small family would gather with Eirwen standing in front of her mothers, a massive grin on her face as they wrapped their arms around her and squeezed tightly, butting all three of their heads as they took their very first official family portrait together.

A family portrait that felt all the more perfect with Yang holding onto them tightly, given a place of honour right next to the fixed one of Blake and Eirwen. 

  
  



End file.
